TREASURY

Bank Cards: Fees and Charges

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to put in place to gauge the effect on consumers and small businesses of European proposals to regulate interchange on card payments.

Sajid Javid: The European Commission published its proposals for the regulation of interchange fees on card-based payment transactions on 24 July.
	The Government is engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including business and consumer groups, to ensure the opinions of businesses and consumers, and the needs of small businesses are fully considered.

Banks: Equal Pay

Alison McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of gender pay parity in those banks in which the Government has a stake; and if he will undertake equal pay audits in those banks.

Sajid Javid: The Government's shareholdings in Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI).
	UKFI's role is to manage the shares and not to manage the banks.
	Decisions on staff pay are operational decisions for the banks themselves.

Credit: Interest Rates

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been given to payday and short-term loan companies in (a) grants and (b) loans in each year since 2010.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	From 2010 to date the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has not provided any grants or loans to payday loan companies.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to distributing the remainder of unallocated monies under the Equitable Life Payment Scheme to Equitable Life victims.

Sajid Javid: No decision has been made on this matter, and should any funds remain once the Equitable Life Payment Scheme closes in 2014 it will be considered further then.

Finance Act 2008

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many claims accepted by HM Revenue and Customs after inquiry in the last five years related to tax planning schemes subsequently covered by section 58 of the Finance Act 2008;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with officials in HM Revenue and Customs on section 58 of the Finance Act 2008;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of repealing the retrospective elements of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 on the amount owed to HM Revenue and Customs.

David Gauke: UK residents are taxable on their worldwide income wherever it arises, including situations where it arises by way of foreign partnerships. Section 58 of Finance Act 2008 was enacted to help put that beyond doubt and in so doing, made clear that a wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme involving a foreign partnership comprised of foreign trustees did not work.
	HMRC is unaware of any claims that have been accepted in the last five years that relate to the wholly artificial tax avoidance scheme that sought to abuse the United Kingdom/Isle of Man Double Taxation Agreement. HMRC became aware in July 2012 that during March 2006 inquiries into fewer than five scheme users who used the scheme for several years had a closure notice issued with no amendment. The closure notices were issued in error and related to only one of the years under inquiry in each case. It is not correct to say that because an inquiry was closed for reasons other than the disputed tax claim, HMRC has accepted the validity of the claim. I am unable to give a more precise figure on the number of inquires that were closed in error as it would breach HMRC's duty of confidentiality.
	HM Revenue and Customs have provided policy advice and support to Treasury Ministers on various aspects of section 58 of Finance Act 2008.
	HMRC considers that section 58 retrospectively clarified existing legislation, and so its introduction did not change any individual's tax position, including the amounts owed by them to HMRC.

Infrastructure

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what per capita spending on infrastructure in each of the main regions of (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland has been in each of the last five years.

Danny Alexander: As published in the Country and Regional analysis of ‘Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2013’, the following table sets out public investment per capita in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England since 2007-08, reflecting decisions by Departments on the regional allocation of capital grants, and decisions by the Devolved Administrations and local authorities on local borrowing. This data is not available for 2012-13.
	
		
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Total UK public investment (£ billion) 45.4 64.3 65.2 55.1 47.8 
			 Of which:      
			 Unidentifiable or non-UK (£ billion) 4.1 15.4 11.4 7.3 6.3 
			 (£/capita)      
			 North East 619 795 882 728 601 
			 North West 756 827 852 797 686 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 574 662 742 684 560 
			 East Midlands 519 592 671 562 445 
			 West Midlands 599 663 753 619 519 
			 East 493 579 705 655 520 
			 London 958 1,238 1,405 1,205 1,001 
			 South East 548 661 693 580 471 
			 South West 511 619 672 580 487 
			 Scotland 986 1,049 1,100 990 1,074 
			 Wales 670 755 801 808 717 
			 Northern Ireland 882 1,034 988 882 801 
			 Note: This data is collected on the basis of the Total Expenditure on Services (TES) framework and not on the basis of the National Accounts. Divergences between these frameworks reflect the difficulty in attributing certain types of spending to correct functions in all cases which, if attempted, would result in a lack of consistency between functions. This data is not collected on a sub-national basis in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Some investment cannot be attributed to specific regions or occurs outside of the United Kingdom. This includes spend on financial interventions, defence and overseas development.

WALES

Health Services

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what the total income to each health service trust and board in Wales from UK Government Departments was in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(2)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on the total cost to each service trust and board of payments to non-NHS providers for acute service contractual and non-contractual referrals in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(3)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on which health service trusts and boards in Wales allow for the treatment of private patients in NHS wards where the cost of treatment and care is funded by the patient;
	(4)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on information held on income received by GPs, consultants and other medical professionals for private treatment of patients in NHS facilities in Wales;
	(5)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on what monitoring exists in Wales to ensure compliance by consultants in hospitals with the terms of their contractual agreements;
	(6)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on the total income to each health service trust/board in Wales, individually, for private patient treatment in acute health services in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13;
	(7)  if he will seek information from the Minister of Health in the Welsh Government on whether arrangements exist in Wales whereby private patients are treated in NHS public ward facilities and where such treatment provides additional income for NHS consultants acting in a private capacity.

David Jones: I have today written to the Minister for Health in the Welsh Government seeking the information requested.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Children

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to encourage reintegration of former child soldiers into education.

Alan Duncan: DFID funds the work of UN Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict through the Conflict Pool Strengthening Alliances and Partnerships fund for the SRSG's Office to boost its capacity and allow it to function as a global UN advocate to protect children in conflict.
	DFID also works with the Foreign. Office and United Nations to try and prevent the recruitment of children into armed groups. Reintegration involves providing combatants with different options for rejoining normal life depending upon their needs and preference. Education courses are but one of the avenues DFID seeks to explore which is open to former child soldiers. DFID programmes use the International Network for Education in Emergencies guidance on conflict sensitive education, which encourages supporting access to all, including former child soldiers.

DEFENCE

European Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Typhoon aircraft is capable of deploying CBU-105 munitions.

Philip Dunne: No.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the stealth characteristics of the Joint Strike Fighter 35B when external pylons and armaments are on the aircraft.

Philip Dunne: The F-35B is being procured as a multi-role aircraft, with the ability to operate in stealth and non-stealth modes as dictated by operational requirements. The stealth characteristics of the F-35B will be affected when external pylons and armaments are on the aircraft. The option of operating in a non-stealth mode with external pylons fitted allows a greater weapons payload to be carried.

NATO

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights the UK has made under the NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution since January 2012; what the (a) total cost and (b) cost per flight has been; and which aircraft were used.

Andrew Robathan: The NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) provides assured access to outsized airlift capability for military operations, predominantly in Afghanistan.
	Since 1 January 2012 the UK has chartered 16 SALIS flights at a total cost of approximately £10.48 million. The aircraft used for these flights was an Antonov An-124.
	Due to the pricing mechanism used by participating NATO countries for the SALIS arrangement it is not possible to provide the costs of individual flights, as costs are calculated on a percentage basis and are paid monthly by participating nations, regardless of the number of SALIS flights that take place.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Egypt

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I am deeply concerned at the violence in Egypt. I condemned the use of force in clearing protests as well the actions of some opposed to the Government in attacking hospitals, police and churches. I have consistently pressed for political figures including former President Morsi to be either released or properly charged with credible offences. It is for the courts to examine those charges and apply due process. The focus now must be on an inclusive political process leading to early and fair elections.

Egypt

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I am deeply concerned at the violence in Egypt. 1 condemned the use of force in clearing protests as well the actions of some opposed to the Government in attacking hospitals, police and churches. I have consistently pressed for political figures including former President Morsi to be either released or properly charged with credible offences. It is for the courts to examine those charges and apply due process. The focus now must be on an inclusive political process leading to early and fair elections.

Chagos Islands

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the expatriate Chagossian community about his policy on the future of the Chagos Islands.

Mark Simmonds: I announced a new feasibility study for the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory on 8 July. Since then, my officials have consulted with over 400 members of the Chagossian community in the UK, in Mauritius and the Seychelles, to ensure the study is informed by their views.

UK Overseas Territories

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish his objectives for his discussions with the premiers and chief ministers of the UK Overseas Territories at the forthcoming Joint Ministerial Council.

Mark Simmonds: I look forward to discussions with the elected leaders of the Overseas Territories at this year's Joint Ministerial Council. The agenda for the Joint Ministerial Council is driven by the priorities of the respective Territory leaders, but the discussions will cover areas of agreed common objectives. These include promoting the security and good governance of the Territories and their sustainable economic and social development.

EU Balance of Competences Review

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made with his Department’s EU balance of competences review.

David Lidington: The review is progressing as planned. Semester 1 reports were published on 22 July and the Calls for Evidence for Semester 2 recently closed. We expect second semester reports to be published towards the end of the year. Semester 3 Calls for Evidence will launch in the autumn.

Mali

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent elections in Mali and on that country’s roadmap for political reform.

Mark Simmonds: I welcome the results of the Malian presidential elections, which had an encouragingly high turnout and were commended by international observers as inclusive and peaceful. However, Mali continues to face many challenges, and the new President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, will need to ensure that all sections of society have a voice in the country's future. We continue to work closely with multilateral partners to support Mali's return to democracy.

Zimambwe

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent elections in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I have grave concerns over the conduct of the elections in Zimbabwe in July. It is the Government's belief that without an independent investigation of irregularities the results cannot be deemed credible. We continue to engage regional and international leaders to challenge irregularities and protect Zimbabwe's political space.

Buildings

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) name and (b) address is of each building owned by his Department; and what the estimated monetary value is of each such building.

David Lidington: The following table details all owned offices in the UK and overseas. Residential accommodation is not included as there is a security risk to our staff associated with releasing such information into the public domain.
	The total book value of owned properties is £2.1 billion. Individual valuations are not provided as this information is commercially sensitive.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) estate is a platform for delivering the FCO's main priorities of security, prosperity and support for British nationals overseas. Within the Diplomatic Excellence programme, we deliver an estate that is flexible, safe and secure, good value for money, modern, functional, small, sustainable and a platform for all of the Government.
	
		
			 Country name Post name Address line 1 Address line 2 Address line 3 Address line 4 
			 Angola Luanda BE Office 4 Rua Diogo Cao Caixa Postal 1244 Luanda 
			 Angola Luanda New Visa Office 4 Rua Diogo Cao Caixa Postal 1244 Luanda 
			 Angola Luanda New Commercial Office 4 Rua Diogo Cao Esplanade of San Miguel Luanda  
			 Botswana Gaborone British High Commission Plot 4712 1085 and 1838 Central Mall Gaborone 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa British Embassy Fikre Mariam Abatechan Street PO Box 858 Addis Ababa 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa Tukuls Fikre Mariam Abatechan Street PO Box 858 Addis Ababa 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa Commercial and Information Office Fikre Mariam Abatechan Street PO Box 858 Addis Ababa 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa FCO Management Office (part) Fikre Mariam Abatechan Street PO Box 858 Addis Ababa 
			 Ethiopia Addis Ababa Offices Fikre Mariam Abatechan Street PO Box 858 Addis Ababa 
			 Ghana Accra British High Commission Plot 27, Osu Link (PO Box 296) off Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue Accra 
			 Ghana Accra Visa and Consular Offices Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue Osu Accra 
			 Gambia Banjul British High Commission Ogden House, 48, Atlantic Road Fajara (PO Box 507) Banjul 
			 Gambia Banjul BHC Visa Section Bray House, 48, Atlantic Road Fajara (PO Box 507) Banjul 
			 Gambia Banjul Two Offices and Store British High Commission Compound 48-52 Atlantic Road Fajara Banjul 
			 Kenya Nairobi British High Commission Plots 109/110 87 Upper and Lower Hills Road Nairobi 
			 Mauritius Port Louis British High Commission Les Cascades Building, 7th Floor 33 Bis Edith Cavell Street Port Louis 
			 Malawi Lilongwe BHC Offices Plot 40/3 Lilongwe  
			 Mozambique Maputo British High Commission Avenida Vladimir I Lenine 310 Caixa Postal 55 Maputo Mozambique 
			 Nigeria Lagos British Deputy High Commission 11 Walter Carrington Crescent Victoria Island Lagos 
			 Nigeria Lagos 11 Walter Carrington Crescent Victoria Island Lagos  
			 Namibia Windhoek British High Commission 116 Robert Mugabe Avenue Windhoek Namibia 
			 Rwanda Kigali Parcelle No 1B1, Boulevard de l'Umuganda Kacyira-Sud, Kigali Rwanda 
			 South Africa Pretoria British High Commission 255 Hill Street Arcadia 0002 Pretoria 
			 South Africa Pretoria BHC Projects Office Hill Street/Schoeman Street BHC Compound Pretoria 
			 Republic of Sudan Khartoum British Embassy Off Baladiya Street Khartoum 1 Sudan 
			 Senegal Dakar British Embassy 20 Rue du Docteur Guillet Dakar  
		
	
	
		
			 Sierra Leone Freetown British High Commission Spur Road, upper and Lower Compound Freetown  
			 Tanzania Dar Es Salaam 3rd Floor and part Ground Floor Umoja House Garden Avenue Dar Es Salaam PO Box 9200. 
			 Tanzania Dar Es Salaam 5th Floor and part Ground Floor Umoja House Garden Avenue Dar Es Salaam PO Box 9200 
			 Uganda Kampala BHC Office. BHC Compound PLOT 4 Windsor Loop Road Kitante Kampala 
			 Uganda Kampala Cons/Visa office BHC Compound. Plot 4 Windsor Loop Road Kitante Kampala 
			 Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa British Embassy Avenue du Roi Baudouin, 83 Gombe Kinshasa 
			 Zimbabwe Harare New British High Commission Office 3 Norfolk Road Mount Pleasant Harare 
			 Zimbabwe Harare Harare: Visa/Consular Office BHC Compound 3 Norfolk Road Harare 
			 Zambia Lusaka 5210 Independence Avenue (PO Box 50050) 15101 Ridgeway Lusaka 
			 Argentina Buenos Aires British Embassy Dr. Luis Agote 2412/52 (1425) Buenos Aires  
			 Barbados Bridgetown Lower Collymore Rock St Michael Bridgetown  
			 Bolivia La paz British Embassy Avenida Arce 2732 La Paz  
			 Brazil Brasilia British Embassy Avenida das Nacoes,Setor de Embaixadas Sul Ses Quadra 801, Conjunto K CEP70.408-900, Brasilia-DF 
			 Belize Belmopan British High Commission Embassy Square No. 772, Block 20 PO Box 91 Belmopan 
			 Canada Ottawa British High Commission 80 Elgin Street Ottawa Ontario K1P 5K7 
			 Canada Ottawa 2nd Floor 80 Elgin Street   
			 Chile Santiago British Embassy 3rd/4/5th Floors, Avenida El Bosque 0125 Casilla 72-D or Casilla 16552 Santiago 
			 Chile Santiago British Commercial Section 2nd Floor, Avenida El Bosque Norte 0125 Casilla 72-D or Casilla 16552 Las Condes, Santiago 
			 Ecuador Quito Citiplaza Building Naciones Unidas Ave and Republica de El Salvador 14th floor, PO Box 17-17-830,Quito 
			 El Salvador San Salvador 14th Floor Torre Futura Edificio World Trade Center San Salvador San Salvador El Salvador 
			 Guatemala Guatemala City BE Office Part 11th Floor 16 Calle 0-55, Zona 10 Edificio Torre International, Nivel 11 Guatemala City 
			 Guyana Georgetown British High Commission 44 Main Street Georgetown  
			 Jamaica Kingston British High Commission Trafalgar House 28 Trafalgar Road Kingston 10 
			 Jamaica Kingston British Council Offices, BHC Compound Trafalgar Park 28 Trafalgar Road Kingston 
			 Jamaica Kingston TWS Office/Works Complex BHC Compound Kingston  
			 Mexico Mexico City British Embassy Rio Lerma 71 Col Cuauhtemoc 06500, Mexico City 
			 Mexico Mexico City Management Section Rio Usumacinta 30 Col Cuauhtemoc 06500, Mexico City 
			 Mexico Mexico City British Consular Section 26 Rio Uscamacinta Mexico City.  
			 Mexico Mexico City New Office Rio Usumacinta 24 Mexico City  
			 Peru Lima 22/23 Floors Torre Parque Mar Building Av. Jose Larco No 1301, Miraflores. Lima  
			 Panama Panama City British Embassy MMG Tower, Calle 53, Floors 4 and 5 Box 0816-07946 Panama City 
			 Uruguay Montevideo British Embassy Calle Marco Bruto 1073 Pocitos, (PO Box 16024) 11300 Montevideo 
			 United States Washington British Embassy 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 
			 United States Washington Old Chancery—Formerly Apartment no. 1 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 
			 United States Washington Old Chancery—Formerly Apartment no. 2 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 
			 United States Washington Consular and Visa Sections 19 Observatory Circle NW Washington DC 
			 Venezuela Caracas Av. Euenio Mendoza con Calle Jose Angel Lamas 11th Floor, La Castellana Carcas 
			 Venezuela Caracas Av. Eugenio Mendoza con, Calle Jose Angel Lamas, 12th Floor (Office 12-C and 12-D) La Castellana  
			 Australia Canberra BHC Office Commonwealth Avenue Yarralumla ACT, 2600  
			 Australia Perth British Consulate—General Unit 86, Level 12 251 Adelaide Terrace Perth-1 
			 Burma Rangoon (Yangon) British Embassy 80 Strand Road Box No. 638 Rangoon (Yangon) 
			 Fiji Suva British Embassy 47 Gladstone Road Suva  
		
	
	
		
			 Hong Kong Hong Kong British Consulate General and British Council Building No.1, Supreme Court Road, Central Inland Lot No 8675 (PO Box 528) Hong Kong 
			 Indonesia Jakarta Former Chancery and compound, British Embassy Jalan M.H Thamrin 75 Jakarta 10310 
			 Indonesia Jakarta British Embassy Jalan Patra Kuningan Raya Blok L 5 - 6 Jakarta 12950 
			 Japan Tokyo British Embassy—Chancery Office 1 Ichiban-cho Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 
			 Japan Tokyo British Commercial and Consular Sections 1 Ichiban-cho Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 
			 New Zealand Wellington British High Commission 44 Hill Street Wellington 1  
			 Philippines Manila BE Office 120 Upper McKinley Road McKinley Town Centre. Fort Bonifacio Taguig City, Manila 
			 Papua New Guinea Port Moresby BHC Office (Allotment 2 and 3), Section 411 Kiroki Street, Waigani NDC 131 Port Moresby 
			 Singapore Singapore British High Commission Tanglin Road Singapore  
			 Singapore Singapore Pavilion Offices Tanglin Road Singapore  
			 South Korea Seoul British Embassy Office Taepyeongno 40 4 Jeong-dong Jung-gu Seoul 
			 Solomon Islands Honiara BHC Office Tanuli Ridge Honiara  
			 Thailand Bangkok Chancery Building 2. 14 Wireless Road Bangkok  
			 Thailand Bangkok British Embassy Consular Offices Building 4. 14 Wireless Road Bangkok 10330 
			 Thailand Bangkok Adjoining Visa Office BE Compound Wireless Road Bangkok 
			 Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City BC Office 25 Le Duan District 1 Ho Chi Minh City 
			 Georgia Tbilisi BE Office 51 Krtsanisi Street Tbilisi 0114  
			 Armenia Yerevan 34 Bhagramian Avenue 34 Bhagramian Avenue Yerevan  
			 Russian Federation Moscow British Embassy Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya Moscow  
			 Russian Federation Moscow EMS Office Smolenskaya Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya Moscow  
			 Tajikistan Dushanbe Mirza Tursunzade 65 Dushanbe Tajikistan  
			 Austria Vienna British Embassy Jaurésgasse 12 1030 Vienna  
			 Austria Vienna Consular Office Jaurésgasse 10 1030 Vienna 
			 Belgium Brussels UKDelNATO. Bld Leopold III Evere 1140 Brussels Belgium 
			 Belgium Brussels UKREP Ministers Offices “Justius Lipsius” 175 Rue de la Loi Brussels 
			 Cyprus Nicosia BHC Office Alexander Pallis Street (PO Box 1978) Nicosia 
			 Cyprus Nicosia Office—29 Shakespeare Avenue Nicosia   
			 Cyprus Nicosia Nicosia: Amenity Land    
			 Cyprus Nicosia BHC Commercial Office Alexander Pallis Street Nicosia  
			 Cyprus Nicosia BHC Consular Office Alexander Pallis Street Nicosia  
			 Cyprus Nicosia BHC Management Office Alexander Pallis Street Nicosia  
			 Cyprus Nicosia Visa Office, Shakespeare Avenue Nicosia   
			 Czech Republic Prague BE Office Thunovska 14 118000 Prague 1  
			 Denmark Copenhagen British Embassy Kastelsvej 38 DK-2100 Copenhagen 0  
			 Denmark Copenhagen UKTI Office Kastelsvej 38 DK-2100 Copenhagen 0  
			 Denmark Copenhagen British Embassy Management Section and Consular Visa Office Kastelsvej 36 DK-2100 Copenhagen 0  
			 Denmark Copenhagen BE Chancery Office BE Kastelsvej 40 DK 2100 Copenhagen 
			 Irish Republic Dublin British Embassy 29 Merrion Road Ballsbridge Dublin 
			 Estonia Tallinn 6 and 6a Wismari Tallinn   
			 Finland Helsinki British Embassy Itainen Puistotie 17 00140 Helsinki  
			 France Marseilles British Consulate-General Prado Castellano Building 24-26 Avenue Du Prado 13006 Marseilles 
			 France Paris British Embassy 35 Rue du Faubourg St. Honore 75383 Paris Cedex 08  
			 France Paris British Consulate-General 16 Rue d'Anjou 75008 Paris  
			 Germany Berlin Wihelmstrasse 70 10117 Berlin  
			 Greece Athens British Embassy 1 Ploutarchou Street Athens  
			 Italy Rome British Embassy Office Via XX Settembre 80a Porta Pia 00187 Rome 
			 Italy Rome Office 2 Stable Block Porta Pia Office Compound Rome  
			 Latvia Riga British Embassy 5, Alunana Iela Street Riga LV1010  
		
	
	
		
			 Lithuania Vilnius British Embassy Ground Floor and first floor Antakalino Gatve 2 Vilnius 
			 Lithuania Vilnius Commercial/Know How Fund Depts Antakalino Gatve 2 Vilnius  
			       
			 Netherlands Amsterdam British Consulate-General Koningslaan 44 1075 AE Amsterdam 
			 Netherlands The Hague British Embassy 10 Lange Voorhout 2514 ED The Hague 
			 Norway Oslo British Embassy Thomas Heftyesgate 8 0244 Oslo  
			 Poland Warsaw British Embassy Ulica Kawalerii 12 Warsaw  
			 Portugal Lisbon British Embassy Rua de Sao Bernado 33A-33D Santa Isabel 1200 Lisbon 
			 Portugal Portimao British Consulate Largo Francisco A Mauricio 7-10 1st Floor, Flats D1 and E1 8500 Portimao 
			 Portugal Portimao New BC Office Fabrica Complex Avenida Guarane Portimao 
			 Romania Bucharest 24 Strada Jules Michelet 24 Strada Jules Michelet, Bucharest   
			 Romania Bucharest Visa Office Bucharest Romania  
			 Romania Bucharest First Floor, Annexe Building Str. Jules Michelet Nr.24 Bucharest  
			 Slovakia Bratislava British Embassy Panska 16 81101 Bratislava  
			 Spain Alicante Former British Consulate office Plaza Calvo Sotelo, 1 and 2, 1st Floor Apartado De Correos 03001 Alicante 
			 Spain Bilbao British Consulate—General 2-8 Alameda de Urquijo, 48008 Bilbao Building 2, 8th Floor Bilbao 
			 Spain Ibiza Isidoro Macabich 45-1 Appt E    
			 Spain Las Palmas British Consulate 3rd Floor, Edificio Cataluna Corner Luis Morote 6/Calle Albaneda 87 35080 Las Palmas, (Gran Canaria) 
			 Spain Palma British Consulate Plaza Mayor 3D, 07002 Palma de Mallorca Balearic Islands 
			 Spain Palma New BC Office Orisba Edificio 4B Orisba   
			 Spain Barcelona British Consulate—General Edificio Torre de Barcelona, 13th Floor Avenida Diagonal 477-13 08036 Barcelona 
			 Switzerland Berne British Embassy Thunstrasse 50 3005 Berne  
			 Sweden Stockholm British Embassy Skarpogatan 6-8, (Box 27819) 115 93 Stockholm  
			 Turkey Ankara BE Office (upper compound) Sehit Ersan Caddesi 46/A Cankaya Ankara 
			 Turkey Antalya British Consulate Office No 6 324 Street Gursu. Konyaalti Antalya 
			 Turkey Istanbul British Consulate-General, Pera House Mesrutiyet Caddesi No.34 Pera House Compound Istanbul 
			 Turkey Istanbul TWO complex Mesrutiyet Caddesi No.34 Pera House Compound Istanbul 
			 Turkey Istanbul New Visa/ Interview Office Pera House Compound   
			 Holy See Holy See VIA XX Settembre 80A Flat B Via XX Settembre 80A Porta Pia Rome 
			 Serbia Belgrade British Embassy Resavska 46 11000 Belgrade  
			 Serbia Belgrade Management Section Office British Embassy Generala Zdanova 44  
			 United Kingdom Hanslope Park Office Hanslope Park Milton Keynes  
			 United Kingdom London King Charles Street (Main Building) London London  
			 United Kingdom London Old Admiralty Building The Mall London  
			 Algeria Algiers Old British Embassy 6 Avenue Souidani Boudjemaa Algiers  
			 Algeria Algiers 3 Rue Capitaine Hocine Slimane (ex Chemin Des Glycines) Hydra Algiers  
			 Bahrain Bahrain British Embassy 21 Government Avenue Manama 306 Bahrain 
			 Egypt Alexandria British Consulate—General 3 Mina Street Roushdy Alexandria 
			 Egypt Cairo Chancery Building British Embassy Compound Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City Cairo 
			 Egypt Cairo Visa Office British Embassy Compound Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City Cairo 
			 Iraq Baghdad BE Office. Sharia Haifa (Haifa Street) Al Salhya Karkh Baghdad 
			 Iran Tehran British Embassy Offices 143 Ferdowsi Avenue Tehran  
			 Iran Tehran House S (Site) Ferdowsi Compound Tehran  
			 Israel Tel Aviv British Embassy 192, Hayarkon Street Tel Aviv 63405  
			 Jerusalem Jerusalem British Consulate General 19 Nashashibi Street, Sheikh Jarrah Quarter, East Jerusalem 
			 Jordan Amman British Embassy Office, Chancery Building Damascus Street (Olive Grove Site) PO Box 87, Jebel Abdoun Amman, Jordan 
		
	
	
		
			 Jordan Amman New Visa Office Plot at Front, Embassy Compound Damascus St Amman 
			 Kuwait Kuwait British Embassy Offices The Old Building (Chancery) Ground Floor, Main Building Arabian Gulf Street. Kuwait City 
			 Kuwait Kuwait The Management Building Arabian Gulf Street Kuwait City  
			 Morocco Rabat British Embassy 28Avenue S. A. R. Sidi Mohammed Souissi Rabat 
			 Oman Muscat British Embassy Jame’eat Al Duwaal Al Arabiyya Street Al Khuwair Muscat 
			 Qatar Doha New BE Office BE Compound West Bay Doha 
			 Saudi Arabia Riyadh British Embassy Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh  
			 Saudi Arabia Riyadh TWS Office and Workshops British Embassy Compound Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh 
			 Tunisia Tunis BE Office 'Salma', Berges Du Lac TF 85357 (Parcel 153 of TF 74661) Tunis 
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Office British Embassy Compound PO Box 248 Abu Dhabi 
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi British Embassy Compound PO Box 248 Abu Dhabi  
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Visa Office BE Compound PO Box 248 Abu Dhabi 
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi RAFLO Office BE Compound Abu Dhabi  
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi CS HQ British Embassy Compound Abu Dhabi  
			 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi UKTI Offices British Embassy Compound PO Box 248 Abu Dhabi 
			 United Arab Emirates Dubai British Embassy Office British Embassy Compound, Dubai, UAE 
			 United Arab Emirates Dubai Conference Centre and BBG Office British Embassy Compound Dubai  
			 United Arab Emirates Dubai New RTC Office BE Compound Dubai  
			 Yemen Sanaa New BE Office 938 Dahir Humair St 5A Ring Road Sana'a 
			 Bangladesh Dhaka British High Commission UN Road (9-10 Dutabash Road) Baridhara  
			 Bangladesh Dhaka British High Commission UN Road (9-10 Dutabash Road) Baridhara  
			 India Mumbai BDHC Office Naman Chambers Plot C32 G Block. Bandra Kurla Complex Bandra East. Mumbai 
			 India Kolkata British High Commission Ho Chi Minh Sarani Kolkata 700 071  
			 India New Delhi Supply Solutions Office, British High Commission, Plot 3 Block 50C, Chanakyapuri New Delhi  
			 India New Delhi IPSO Office British High Commission Plot 3 Block 50C, Chanakyapuri New Delhi 
			 India New Delhi BHC Office Plot 3, Block 50C, Chanakyapuri New Delhi  
			 India New Delhi Immigration and Visa Office Plot 3, Block 50C, Chanakyapuri New Delhi  
			 India New Delhi ALO Office Plot 3, Block 50C, Chanakyapuri New Delhi  
			 India Chennai BDHC Office 20 Anderson Road Nunqambakkam Chennai 
			 Nepal Kathmandu British Embassy British Embassy Compound Plot No's 1,2,5 and 6, Lainchaur Kathmandu 
			 Nepal Kathmandu New Visa Office British Embassy Compound, Plot Nos. 1,2,5 and 6, Lainchaur Kathmandu  
			 Pakistan Karachi British Deputy High Commission, Acton House York Place Karachi  
			 Pakistan Karachi Visa Office Antrim House British Deputy High Commission Karachi  
			 Pakistan Islamabad British High Commission Diplomatic Enclave Ramna 5, (PO Box 1122) Islamabad 
			 Pakistan Islamabad Visa Office Building British High Commission Compound Diplomatic Enclave Islamabad 
			 Pakistan Islamabad Chancery Annex British High Commission Residential Compound Islamabad  
			 Pakistan Islamabad British High Commission Compound Diplomatic Enclave Ramna 5, PO Box 1122 Islamabad 
			 Sri Lanka Colombo BHC Office Compound Baudhaloka Mawatha Colombo

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Pakistan Government regarding the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Alistair Burt: We have regular discussions with the Government of Pakistan on a range of counter-terrorism issues. We emphasised the need for Pakistan to take action against all terrorist groups during the visits to Pakistan of the Prime Minister in June, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in July.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received concerning the murder of four Hazara traders on the Masjid Road in Quetta, Pakistan on 15 July 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I am disturbed at continued reports of violent attacks on Pakistani citizens, including members of the Hazara community in Quetta. We condemn all acts of violence which show an appalling contempt for religious belief and human life. We urge the Pakistani authorities to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the recent suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Hazara Town, Quetta, Pakistan on 30 June 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to be disturbed by reports of attacks in Quetta including members of the Hazara community. The British Government strongly condemns all instances of violence and in particular the killing of innocent people based on their faith or ethnicity. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials regularly urge the Government of Pakistan to protect and guarantee the fundamental human rights of all people in Pakistan.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when representatives of the Government last met leaders of the Hazara community in Quetta, Pakistan.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers last met UK representatives of the Hazara community in London in 2012 and another meeting is due in September. Due to the security situation visits to Quetta are not currently possible. Officials in our high commission in Islamabad meet Hazara representatives periodically.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the UN Rapporteur on Human Rights regarding the recent attacks on the Hazara community in Quetta, Pakistan.

Alistair Burt: The British Government strongly condemns all instances of violence, particularly when based on a person's faith, ethnicity or gender. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials regularly urge the Government of Pakistan to ensure the fundamental rights of all its citizens are respected. UN special procedures are independent and do not seek or accept instructions from Government. However, we are strong supporters of UN special procedures, and follow reports and representations closely.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when representatives of the Government last met representatives from the Pakistan government to discuss the recent attacks on Hazara people in Quetta.

Alistair Burt: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the Government of Pakistan where we raise issues of human rights and religious freedom of all groups. Our concerns about the treatment of Hazaras are expressed in the FCO Annual Human Rights Report.

Saudi Arabia

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the adoption in that country of policies to discourage the growth of Jihadi Wahhabism.

Alistair Burt: I have discussed with my Saudi counterpart our collective efforts to counter the terrorist threat faced by both our countries; but not specifically this issue. Saudi Arabia is a vital partner in our global counter-terrorism efforts and officials at our embassy in Riyadh are in regular contact with their Saudi counterparts. There are many reasons why individuals develop extremist views, and our understanding is continuing to evolve. Many countries have problems with domestic extremism and terrorism, and with their citizens travelling overseas to join jihadist groups.
	Saudi Arabia has developed sophisticated and integrated prevention, rehabilitation and after-care counter-terrorism programmes. Saudi security forces continue to take action against terrorist groups and disrupt their plans and infrastructure, including through the prevention of travel overseas by extremists. We understand that government-supported mosques in Saudi Arabia are also discouraging Saudi citizens from travelling to other countries, particularly Syria, in their Friday sermons.

Zimbabwe

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the involvement of foreign-owned companies in funding recent elections in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Simmonds: We are aware of allegations concerning the involvement of foreign-owned companies in the funding of elections in Zimbabwe. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will continue to monitor these allegations closely.
	As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I have made clear in our public statements, while we commend the Zimbabwean people for holding peaceful elections on 31 July, we continue to have grave concerns about these and the reports of irregularities in the electoral process. We continue to believe an independent audit would be required before the election result might be credibly deemed to reflect the wishes of the people.
	Britain's objectives remain unchanged: to support the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe to build a free, peaceful and prosperous future under a government of their own choosing.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many House of Commons staff were on zero hours contracts in each of the last 10 years.

John Thurso: In the last 10 years the House Service has engaged casual workers in a number of areas, generally under arrangements where no specific hours of work are guaranteed. These staff receive many of the same benefits as other members of House staff, such as 28 days annual leave a year (accrued based on each hour that they work) and sick absence pay. They are also entitled to join the staff pension scheme from their first day and are automatically enrolled into it if they are contracted for a year or more.
	The numbers of casual staff on our books in each year were:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2003-04 18 
			 2004-05 22 
			 2005-06 29 
			 2006-07 36 
			 2007-08 49 
			 2008-09 58 
			 2009-10 73 
			 2010-11 109 
			 2011-12 146 
			 2012-13 163 
		
	
	Most of the increase in recent years is due to the growth of services such as visitor reception and guided tours. These are areas with variable workloads and in which the use of casual staff is normal practice.
	The Commission aims to follow best practice as an employer. The House Service's terms of engagement for casual/zero hours staff compare well with those used in external organisations and include pension entitlement, annual leave and sick pay. Following a discussion by the Commission in the summer, we are now moving to offer full employment contracts with minimum guaranteed hours where possible, and where that is what the individual wants.
	The figures in the table represent the total number of people on the books as casual staff at some point during each year. The number at any particular time is lower; for example, as at 30 April 2013, 155 people were contracted to work for an unspecified number of hours.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small and medium-sized businesses in (a) Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency and (b) Birmingham employ apprentices.

Matthew Hancock: Information is not available on the number of businesses employing apprentices by size.
	Table 1 shows the number of employer workplaces in Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency and Birmingham that employed apprentices in the 2011/12 academic year.
	
		
			 Table 1: Employer workplaces that employed apprentices by geography, 2011/12 
			 2011/12 Number 
			 Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency 250 
			 Birmingham local education authority 4,220 
			 Notes: 1. The figures are a count of number of individual employer workplaces (site level). 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Geographic information is based on the delivery location of the apprenticeship. Note that some employer workplaces deliver apprenticeship in more than one location. Source: Individualised Learner Record

Apprentices: South Yorkshire

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many apprenticeships funded by the Skills Funding Agency in 2013 will be based in (a) Sheffield, (b) Rotherham, (c) Barnsley and (d) Doncaster;
	(2)  who will provide the apprenticeships funded by the Skills Funding Agency in 2013 in (a) Sheffield, (b) Doncaster, (c) Barnsley and (d) Rotherham.

Matthew Hancock: The locations and sectors where apprenticeships are available are determined by employers offering apprenticeships and recruiting apprentices. Provisional data for the first three months of the 2013/14 academic year (August 2013 to October 2013) will be published in the January 2014 Statistical First Release (SFR).
	The numbers of government-funded apprenticeships by geography for previous academic years are published in a supplementary table to the SFR:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/69EFC69B-C189-46C4-93C4-6B161D744073/0/June2013_Apprenticeship_Starts.xls
	The providers of government-funded apprenticeships within each local authority for previous academic years are published in a supplementary table to the SFR:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4027FBE2-EA08-4040-8A39-828C06648A3D/0/Januarv2013_ Participation_ by_Provider_Funding_Stream_Learner_and_Learning_Characteristics 201112.xls

Credit: Interest Rates

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to collect information on the number of payday loans taken out in each (a) local authority area, (b) region and (c) nation within the UK.

Jo Swinson: The Government does not collect information on the number of payday loans in each local authority area, region or nation within the UK. The Office of Fair Trading recently estimated the total number of new payday loans issued in the UK in 2011/12 to be between 7.4 and 8.2 million.
	The Government has announced that from 1 April 2014 responsibility for the consumer credit regime will transfer to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA will have more access to information from firms, including those authorised to provide payday loans, through their more comprehensive reporting requirements. In particular, authorised firms will be required to report annually on their activities. It is for this independent regulator to determine what particular information to collect on payday loans.

Digital Technology

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department is making available for digital inclusion (a) directly and (b) through partner bodies.

Matthew Hancock: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not run any digital inclusion programmes, rather we fund programmes run by other organisations in order to maximise the impact and achieve best value for money.
	BIS is funding a £32 million, four year programme through UK online centres specifically to help more people develop the skills needed to use a computer and to get online safely and securely. This programme is running through to March 2014, and over this period, has helped over 1,250,000 people to use a computer and the internet.
	UK online centres are located in the top 10% most deprived community wards in England and attract hard to reach adults (aged 19 to 100+) from the lowest socio-economic groups, many of whom do not traditionally engage in informal learning.
	BIS is working alongside other Departments to support the Government Digital Service Digital Inclusion Team and has agreed to provide £100,000 per year over the next two years to support the cross Government activity in this area.
	Finally the £210 million annual budget which BIS funds for Community Learning has been protected to enable access to learning for those most disadvantaged including older learners and those on low incomes. In 2011/12 academic year, there were 108,260 Community Learning enrolments in Information and Communication Technology. This accounts for 10.4% of all Community Learning enrolments in the 2011/12 academic year.

ICT: Israel

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of Israel about Israel's high-tech sector.

David Willetts: Following my visit to Israel in 29-31 October 2011, I co-chaired the UK-Israel High Tech council meeting with Avi Hasson, Israel's Chief Scientist. The meeting was held in London in March 2012 and provided an opportunity for senior figures in the high-tech sector from both countries to give strategic guidance to the efforts to build the high-tech partnership and share best practice. The next meeting is due in April 2014. In addition the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green, visited Israel in March this year and met with the UK-Israel Tech Hub at the British embassy.
	In recent months the Department has had the following interactions with the Government of Israel:
	I met with Daniel Taub, Israeli ambassador to the UK, on 18 June 2013; and
	Nick Baird, UK Trade and Investment's Chief Executive, visited Israel in May 2013 where he participated in a round table discussion with four Israeli tech companies who have successfully collaborated with UK business counterparts. He also met with Prof. Stanley Fischer, the then Governor of the Bank of Israel.

Royal Mail: Theft

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what procedures are in place to deal with complaints against the theft of post in the Post Office.

Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd is responsible for operational matters concerning the Post Office network. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Technology and Innovation Centres

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) location and (b) cost is of each technology strategy board's catapult centre.

David Willetts: The locations and costs to date for the seven Catapult centres are in the following table:
	
		
			 Catapult Location Notes Cost (to date) (£ million) 
			 High Value Manufacturing Seven Centres around UK: Advanced Forming Research Centre—Glasgow Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre—Rotherham Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre—Rotherham Centre for Process Innovation—Wilton Manufacturing Technology Centre—Coventry National Composites Centre—Bristol Warwick Manufacturing Group—Coventry In addition to core funding expansions to CPI and NCC were given support through Autumn Statement 2012 (Cost £8.64 million to date) 78.09 
		
	
	
		
			 Offshore Renewable Energy Glasgow — 2.04 
			 Cell Therapy Guys Hospital, London — 9.11 
			 Satellite Applications Harwell, Oxfordshire — 9.64 
			 Connected Digital Economy London Currently identifying premises and awaiting final approval of five year business plan 1.03 
			 Future Cities London CEO Started 17 June, currently identifying premises and preparing five year business plan 0.27 
			 Transport Systems Milton Keynes CEO started 1 August, currently preparing five year business plan 0.51

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Greater London

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of likely changes in the number of A350s and Dreamliners flying into London airports in the next 10 years.

Simon Burns: In 2014 the Department's aviation forecasting model predicts that there will be 12,000 A350s and Dreamliners arriving and departing at London airports. By 2024 it is predicted that this number will have risen to 105,000 departures and arrivals.

British Transport Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money the British Transport Police has spent on legal proceedings in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The amount the British Transport Police (BTP) has spent on legal proceedings in each of the last eight financial years is set out as follows. Information prior to 2005-06 can be retrieved only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2005-06 152,686 
			 2006-07 324,057 
			 2007-08 233,518 
			 2008-09 543,113 
			 2009-10 1,308,051 
			 2010-11 784,866 
			 2011-12 545,722 
			 2012-13 594,901 
		
	
	These figures include costs incurred by the BTP and the British Transport Police Authority for all criminal, civil and tribunal legal proceedings, but excludes estates and property legal costs.

British Transport Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to tackle discrimination within the British Transport Police; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The British Transport Police Authority is committed to embedding equality, diversity and human rights responsibilities throughout the Force. The British Transport Police's Equality and Diversity Objectives 2013-16 are framed around the three strategic themes of operational delivery, people and culture, and organisational processes. This approach ensures that the Force is responding to the needs of the railway infrastructure, the communities it serves, and its employees.

British Transport Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the British Transport Police has recovered from the courts in order to cover its costs in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The British Transport Police can provide this information only at disproportionate cost.

Bus Partnership Forum

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the minutes of the most recent Bus Partnership Forum.

Norman Baker: I have placed minutes of the Bus Partnership Forum, which took place on 15 July 2013, in the House of Commons Library.

Bus Services

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with bus operating companies on audio-visual next stop and final destination announcement systems.

Norman Baker: Although there have been no recent meetings with bus operators to discuss audio-visual announcement systems specifically, in June 2012 I chaired a summit on how best to improve door to door journeys for disabled people which was attended by bus industry stakeholders. Pursuant to this, on 13 December 2012, I published an 'Accessibility Action Plan' which seeks to address the challenges in making public transport more accessible and which includes an action to develop costings on audio-visual technical options for buses and identify a way forward.
	In addition, on 23rd May 2011, I wrote to bus operators to encourage them to work in partnership with their local authorities to see if the uptake of audio-visual announcement systems can be increased on a voluntary basis.

Bus Services

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which bus operating companies he has met representatives of (a) between May 2010 and July 2012 and (b) since July 2012.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State and his predecessors have met with a wide range of figures involved in the provision of bus services, most notably through meetings with the Confederation of Passenger Transport which represents a great many bus operating companies, both small and large.
	As Minister with responsibility for bus policy, I have held frequent meetings with bus operators as well as other stakeholder representatives. Below is a table of meetings I have had with individual operators since 2010:
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Arriva June September February January July January 
			 First group June November October November December June July January 
			 Go Ahead June January October January July September November January March 
			 National Express June July February May November April 
			 Stagecoach June July May October January September November January 
			 Norfolk Green x September January July September January 
			 Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Co November x x x 
			 Renown Group x x January x 
			 Trentbarton June x July January 
			 Bakers Coaches x June x x 
			 Abellio June July X X 
		
	
	In addition, I hold a Bus Partnership forum on a six monthly basis, which is attended by all the major bus operators.

Bus Services: Concessions

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Welsh Government in the last six months on the cross-border use of concessionary bus passes; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: There have been no discussions in the last six months between the Department for Transport and the Welsh Government about cross-border use of concessionary bus passes. Although the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 contains a power to allow, through future regulations, for mutual recognition of bus passes across the UK, there are no plans to introduce mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes between England and Wales or any other part of the UK.
	Local authorities in England neighbouring the Welsh border have powers to offer cross-border concessionary bus travel as a local enhancement to the current statutory minimum.

Bus Services: North East

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of people who (a) qualify for and (b) have claimed a disabled persons bus pass in (i) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency, (ii) Sunderland and (iii) the North East;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who (a) qualify for and (b) have claimed an OAP bus pass in (i) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency, (ii) Sunderland and (iii) the North East in each of the last three years;
	(3)  if he will estimate the number of people who (a) qualify for and (b) have claimed a young person's bus pass in (i) Houghton and Sunderland South constituency, (ii) Sunderland and (iii) the North East.

Norman Baker: We estimate that in 2011/12, the latest year for which data is available, the number of eligible older people, and the number of disabled and older persons’ bus passes in circulation in north east England was as follows:
	
		
			  North East—excluding Durham and Stockton-on-Tees (Thousands) 
			 Eligible Older People 428 
			 Older Persons' Passes 373 
			   
			 Eligible Disabled People Not Known 
			 Disabled Persons' Passes 39 
		
	
	The totals for the North East include the Travel Concession Authorities (TCAs) Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, and Tyne and Wear, but they exclude Durham and Stockton-on-Tees, for which data is not available.
	We do not hold data for Sunderland or the Houghton and Sunderland South constituency, and nor do we have an estimate of the number of eligible disabled people who do not claim the statutory concession in any area of England.
	The relevant published tables are BUS0820 and BUS0890 which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus08-concessionary-travel
	Travel concessions for young people are provided by some TCAs on a discretionary basis, and we do not hold estimates of the number of concessionary passes in circulation in any area of England.

East Coast Railway Line

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the funding agreed between the British Transport Police (BTP) and the companies operating the East Coast Main Line was for BTP staff on the franchise in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-04.

Simon Burns: The charges for police services are set by the British Transport Police Authority. The authority is unable to provide the information requested as charges are calculated at an operator level, not at a route level.
	The total costs to the franchise for the police services provided by the BTP in each of the years was (a) £5.536 million, (b) £5.608 million, (c) £5.468 million, (d) £5.468 million, and for the current year is £4.752 million.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments have been made by (a) High Speed 2 Ltd and (b) his Department in respect of High Speed 2 since March 2010 to (i) Atkins, (ii) Bechtel, (iii) Carillion, (iv) CH2MHill and (v) Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Simon Burns: Details of payments made since March 2010 on behalf of HS2 Ltd are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Company Total (£ million) 
			 Atkins 31 
			 Bechtel 0 
			 Carillion 0 
			 CH2MHill 25.4 
			 Parsons Brinckerhoff 11.5 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are inclusive of VAT. 2. The totals for Atkins cover the period from the end of March 2010 to end of August 2013. 3. The totals for CH2MHill cover the period from March 2012 to end of August 2013. 4. The totals for Parsons Brinckerhoff cover the period from June 2012 to end of August 2013. 5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £100,000. 
		
	
	Details of payments made since March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Transport are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Company Total (£ million) 
			 Atkins 0.04 
			 Bechtel 0 
			 Carillion 0 
			 CH2MHill 0 
			 Parsons Brinckerhoff 1.34 
			 Notes: 1. Atkins figure is exclusive of VAT. 2. Parsons Brinckerhoff figure is inclusive of VAT.

Kemble-Swindon Railway Line

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct Network Rail to include enlarging the Victorian culvert under the railway at Minety as part of the work associated with the redoubling of the Swindon to Kemble line.

Simon Burns: Network Rail is sympathetic to the concerns of local residents, and intends to work with Wiltshire county council in finding a solution to the drainage issues that will alleviate anxieties. However, at present they do not have any plans or funding to increase the capacity of Network Rail's culvert at Minety. The scope of the railway enhancement does not therefore include enhancement to the said culvert.

Railways: Fares

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of passenger rail fares on living standards in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK; and what discussions he has had on the issue with the Minister for Transport and Veterans in the Scottish Government.

Norman Baker: The Department has not made such an assessment of the effect of trends in the level of passenger fares on living standards. The policy on the majority of rail fares in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government.
	Our Fares and Ticketing Review has looked at a wide range of options to address passenger concerns about fares and ticketing in a financially sustainable way, and we will be publishing the results of the Review shortly.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month.

Norman Baker: During the period from 10 June to 17 July 2013, 36 questions answered by the Department included fewer than four pages of statistics.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink.

Norman Baker: The Office of the Leader of the House provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering Parliamentary Questions by reference to Government websites.
	The guidance advises that the answer should give the Member the factual information requested (including supplying paper copies of the website pages), with an additional line in the answer indicating that the information is already made readily available.
	The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work. A copy of the guidance relating to referring to websites has already been placed in the Library and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work later this year.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Common Fisheries Policy

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fishermen in the UK will benefit from the proposed reforms to the commons fisheries policy.

Richard Benyon: All UK fishermen will benefit from the reforms to the common fisheries policy (CFP). In addition to the ban on the wasteful practice of discarding fish, we have secured a legally binding target to set fishing levels more sustainably. This will increase biomass in the sea, resulting in improved fishing yields. This has the potential to have a huge positive impact, not just on stock levels and the marine ecosystem, but on the bottom line for UK fishing businesses.
	UK fishermen will also benefit from improved fisheries management with a move away from the one size fits all approach under the current CFP. The regionalisation process that we secured allows decisions to be made closer to the fishery, with fishermen playing an important role to develop more effective management measures from the bottom up, through advisory councils.

Greyhounds

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain in monitoring and recording (a) welfare standards in that industry and (b) the number of greyhounds put down for economic reasons.

David Heath: The greyhound regulations are due to be reviewed in 2015 and this review will look at how effective they and the enforcement agencies (including the Greyhound Board of Great Britain) have been in maintaining good welfare standards.

Hill Farming

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of stocking levels on the uplands following reform of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: I shall be issuing a consultation document on the implementation of CAP reform in England in the near future. This will set out plans for providing support for upland farmers, and invite views from stakeholders, including in respect of the potential impact on stocking levels in the uplands.

Insecticides

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to (a) restrict the sale of chlorpyrifos and (b) record to whom sales are made; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: Chlorpyrifos products are authorised for use only by professionals. This means they can only be lawfully used by those who are trained and competent for their job. In certain situations the user will need to hold a certificate of competence.
	From November 2015 all professional users will be required to hold a certificate demonstrating that they have been trained. It will also be a requirement that persons may not purchase professional products unless that product is to be used by someone holding a training certificate.
	The law requires that distributors, amongst others, keep records of plant protection products placed on the market.

Insecticides

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what damage was caused to the River Kennet by the recent chlorpyrifos poisoning; and what assessment he has made of the amount of the chemical involved in this incident.

David Heath: The Environment Agency's investigations have shown that many macro-invertebrates—that is those which are visible to the eye without the aid of a microscope—have been killed but there have been no reports of any fish deaths. The Environment Agency traced the effects of the pollution between Marlborough and Hungerford with macro-invertebrates being affected for this 15 km stretch. The Environment Agency did not detect any more effects downstream of Hungerford.
	In 2003, a small amount of a Chlorpyrifos-based pesticide entered the watercourse in a similar incident on the River Wey at Bordon. To date the Environment Agency has been unable to identify the source of the River Kennet incident but comparison with the Bordon incident indicates that only a small quantity of pesticide may have caused it. If the pesticide had been in higher concentrations the Environment Agency would have expected a fish kill.
	Investigations are still ongoing. The Environment Agency is working with local groups to support the fish population.

Sheep Meat

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to review the operation of the UK specification on lamb sales.

David Heath: Sheep carcase classification is not compulsory in the UK, but most abattoirs grade their carcases based on the EUROP classification grid. We are considering the operation of these arrangements with industry stakeholders.

Slaughterhouses: Cattle

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered in England for reasons of (a) lameness, (b) infertility and (c) mastitis in each year since 2003.

David Heath: This data is not collected or collated by Government.

Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 in improving welfare standards for racing greyhounds in the industry;
	(2)  what plans the Government has to discuss a review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations are due to be reviewed in 2015 and this will look at how effective they and the enforcement agencies have been in maintaining good welfare standards. We will consult key stakeholders, including the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, as part of the review.

Welsh Language

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has a current Welsh Language scheme; when that scheme was adopted; and whether it has been reviewed since May 2011.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA's Welsh language scheme was agreed by the Welsh Language Board on 31 October 2002. It has not since been reviewed.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Accidents: Compensation

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he had made of the reasons for the recent fall in the number of people receiving rewards for work-related injuries and diseases.

Mark Hoban: No assessment has been made as this is not the responsibility of the DWP.

Children: Maintenance

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much is owed to parents with care in (a) North West Norfolk constituency and (b) Norfolk in Child Support Agency claims by non-resident parents who have moved abroad;
	(2)  how much is owed to parents in (a) North West Norfolk constituency and (b) Norfolk in Child Support Agency claims.

Steve Webb: The following table shows, as of March 2013, how much is owed in child maintenance arrears to parents with care in Norfolk and North West Norfolk Constituency overall and the value of arrears owed to these parents by non-resident parents who are based abroad.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Area Arrears owed to parents with care Arrears owed to parents with care by non-resident parents based abroad 
			 Norfolk 34,223,000 472,000 
			 North West Norfolk constituency 3,971,000 41,000 
			 Notes: 1. Norfolk figures calculated by summing the totals for Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Norwich and South Norfolk local authorities. 2. Figures sourced from agency's internal debt book, The agency debt book over reports debt by approximately 4%. 3. Outstanding debt values allocated to a parliamentary constituency or local authority by matching the parent with care's residential postcode to the Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory. 4. Figures rounded to nearest £1,000 5. Figures exclude cases managed off system. 6. Latest published arrears figures are as at March 2013.

Citizens' Advice Bureaux

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Citizens Advice Bureau on the number of people using their services in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North, (b) Renfrewshire, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK.

Mark Hoban: This Department publishes, on a quarterly basis, details of meetings between our Ministers and external organisations. Information up to 31 March 2013 can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-meetings-with-external-organisations
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not met with the Citizens Advice Bureau during the period 1 April to date.

Cold Weather Payments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received a cold weather payment in (a) February 2013 and (b) March 2013 in (i) the Bishopton weather station area, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK.

Steve Webb: The following table gives the estimated volume of recipients of cold weather payments in February and March 2013 in the area covered by the Bishopton weather station, Scotland and Great Britain.
	
		
			 Area February 2013 March 2013 
			 Bishopton Weather Station 0 0 
			 Scotland 2,800 31,100 
			 Great Britain 86,600 332,800 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics. 2. The figures for Scotland only include payments made in respect of weather stations whose coverage areas lie entirely within Scotland. There are some weather station areas whose coverage crosses the England/Scotland border; as we do not know which country these recipients are in, they are excluded from the figures for Scotland. 3. Information regarding annual expenditure for Social Fund schemes in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland office and is not included in the above figures. Figures are therefore given for Great Britain and not the United Kingdom. 4. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units rather than to households or individuals. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. The recipient volumes given are based on the number of eligible benefit units on 31 October 2012. 5. A cold weather payment of £25 is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be 0°C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible recipient's postcode. 6. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency have been affected by the under-occupancy penalty; and how many such people are disabled.

Steve Webb: Statistics regarding the impacts of the removal of the spare room subsidy are not available at a local authority level.
	Estimated numbers of people affected in Great Britain (including by region), and estimated numbers of affected disabled people in Great Britain are available in the equality impact assessment at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/174973/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf.pdf

Jobseeker's Allowance

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jewish people have been denied jobseeker's allowance on the basis of their observance of Saturday as the Sabbath and therefore not being available to work.

Mark Hoban: None.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Birmingham

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants in Birmingham, Hall Green constituency were temporarily barred from claiming the allowance on a monthly basis in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average duration of the temporary bar was.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on the number of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants who have been sanctioned in (a) each local authority area and (b) each parliamentary constituency in each month from April 2000 to May 2012 have been placed in the Library.
	Information on the average length of sanction is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he intends to reply to the letter to him, dated 28 May 2013, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regards to Ms M. Gallagher.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), replied to the right hon. Member on 4 July 2013.

Social Networking

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list all Twitter accounts for which officials of his Department (a) have had and (b) currently have responsibility for (i) monitoring and (ii) updating.

Mark Hoban: Over time the number of DWP and Jobcentre Plus Twitter accounts have increased organically as we have tried to improve communications with our service users.
	DWP does not hold a list of all Twitter accounts that officials have had responsibility for monitoring and updating in the past. A list of Twitter accounts currently operated by DWP can be found at:
	https://twitter.com/DWPdigital/lists
	a copy of which will be placed in the Library. These listings are provided so that citizens, employers and partners can easily find the Twitter accounts operated by DWP or can check whether an account is genuine.
	We are currently working on a new social media strategy to continue to improve our communications, which may see the consolidation of some of these Twitter accounts.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints about online harassment, threats of violence and intimidation were made to the police (a) in the 12 months to June 2013 and (b) in July and August 2013; and how many arrests were made in connection with such activity (i) in the 12 months to June 2013 and (ii) in July and August 2013.

Jeremy Browne: The information requested is not available from either the police recorded crime statistics or the arrests data collected by the Home Office.

Crime: Rural Areas

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to tackle rural crime in (a) Redditch constituency and (b) across the UK.

Jeremy Browne: The Government recognises that rural communities are vulnerable to certain crimes. The election of Police and Crime Commissioners has given rural communities a stronger voice in determining local policing priorities. We are also giving the public more street-level information about crime on a monthly basis so they have the information they need to hold local forces to account.

Crime: Rural Areas

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the economy of Worcestershire of rural crime in the last year.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office has not made any assessment of the cost of rural crime to the economy of Worcestershire.

Demonstrations

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department gives to police forces on the definition of a static demonstration; and whether there is any limit to the number of people who can participate in such a demonstration.

Damian Green: Guidance on the management of static demonstrations (referred to as a “public assembly” in section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986) is an operational matter for the police. Section 14 of the Public Order Act enables the police to apply conditions to a static demonstration, including the maximum numbers of participants.

Female Genital Mutilation

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for (a) carrying out female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK and (b) transporting women or girls abroad for the purposes of FGM have been secured in each year since the passage of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.

Jeremy Browne: There have been no prosecutions under the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act 2003 in England and Wales. There may be a number of barriers to prosecution, including pressure from the family or wider community to remain silent. Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines on handling cases of FGM were published by the Home Office in February 2011 and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published guidance for prosecutors in September 2011. In November 2012, the Director of Public Prosecutions published a CPS action plan on improving prosecutions for FGM.
	Due to the hidden nature of the crime it is difficult to quantify how many women and girls have been taken abroad for the purposes of FGM. The Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD) charity published a study, based on 2001 census data, which suggested that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 could be at high risk of FGM in England and Wales every year.

Lasers: Safety

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects her Department's project to consider risks to public safety caused by hand held lasers to aircraft and being led by the Public Safety Directorate/Public Order Unit to report its findings; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: I have asked my officials to consider this matter in conjunction with the Department for Transport and advice on the nature and scale of the risk, the current response and whether measures should be taken to deter malicious activity and reduce any risks to public safety. This review will be completed before the end of the year.

Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications have been (a) made and (b) granted under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 for the civil use of drones for the purposes of communication interception and covert surveillance; what assessment she has made of the extent to which drones are used in police intelligence work; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the current regulatory framework for the civil use of drones; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) likely to obtain private information covertly would need to be authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Any authorisation would be on the basis that the deployment was both necessary for a human rights purpose such as the prevention or detection of crime or in the interests of national security, and was proportionate. The Home Office does not normally receive notifications of police authorisations. Statistics on the authorisation of covert surveillance are published in the annual report of the independent Chief Surveillance Commissioner, but are not broken down to the extent identified in the question. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 July 2013, Official Report , column 912W, to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson), which stated that police deployment of UAVs was an operational matter for individual police forces within regulations set by the Civil Aviation Authority and that numbers in use are not collected centrally.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to ensure that all answers provided by her Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink.

Mark Harper: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering parliamentary questions by reference to Government websites.
	The guidance advises that the answer should give the hon. Member the factual information requested (including supplying paper copies of the website pages), with an additional line in the answer indicating that the information is already made readily available.
	The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work
	A copy of the guidance relating to referring to websites has already been placed in the Library and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work later this year.

CABINET OFFICE

Billing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many creditors to his Department owed more than £10,000 remained unpaid for more than (a) 30 days, (b) 45 days, (c) 60 days, (d) 75 days and (e) more than 90 days in each of the last three years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested is not held centrally however in 2012-13 the Cabinet Office paid 99% of invoices within 30 days, 94.5% within 10 days and 79% within five days.

Charities: Shops

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government on strategies to benefit the charity shop industry;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the performance of charity shops in generating charitable income.

Nick Hurd: In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of such discussions are not normally disclosed.
	According to the Charity Retail Association, last year charity shops raised over £220 million for their parent charities in the UK. As well as raising significant funds for good causes, charity shops raise awareness of their parent charity and encourage the sustainable re-use of goods.

Digital Technology

Helen Goodman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what funding his Department is making available for digital inclusion (a) directly and (b) through partner bodies.

Nick Hurd: We are setting up a cross-Government team to lead and coordinate Government's work on digital inclusion. The team will work closely with existing partners in this space such as Go ON UK.

Government Departments: Assets

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which assets the Government intends to sell by the end of financial year 2014-15; and if he will make a statement

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The Government is committed to ensuring the effective and efficient management of publicly owned assets, including assessing options for disposal. Where there is no longer a strong policy reason for continued public ownership or where there is potential for an asset to operate more sensibly and efficiently in the private sector, the Government will continue to look into the potential sale of public sector assets.

Plastic Bags

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what work his Department's Behavioural Insight Team (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake on reducing public plastic bag usage.

Nick Hurd: The Behavioural Insights Team has not undertaken, nor does it currently have plans to undertake, work on reducing public plastic bag usage.

Third Sector

Guy Opperman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent steps he has taken to promote the social investment market in the (a) North East and (b) UK; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: This Government is committed to promoting the growth of the social investment market across the UK through ground-breaking initiatives such as Big Society Capital, the Social Outcomes Fund, and the Social Incubator Fund. Through the £10 million Social Incubator Fund, Social Incubator North, is supporting budding social entrepreneurs in the North of England with tailored packages of investment and business support. In addition, Big Society Capital is seeking to create specific regional funds to support social investment around the country, for example it is partnering with Northern Rock Foundation to start a fund serving the North East.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Trident

Julian Lewis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister to what use he will put the Trident Alternatives Report; for what reason the report excluded consideration of the (a) costs and (b) utility of a two-submarine Trident force; how many Civil Servant man-hours were expended upon this report; and at what attributable cost to the public purse.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	The report on the Trident Alternatives Review, which the Government published on 16 July, is intended to inform public debate on this important topic. The review examined the option and costs of an interim procurement of two Successor submarines to supplement the reducing fleet of Vanguard-class submarines during the transition to a different system in 2040. The review did not examine a long-term fleet of two Successor submarines because such a force would be unable to sustain back-to-back patrols over an extended period of time, unlike a three boat fleet. Neither the hours nor costs of the review are centrally recorded; these could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trident

Julian Lewis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reason the Trident Alternatives Report took 30 months to prepare; for what reason it was published so near to the Summer Recess of the House; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Trident Alternatives Review.
	The review was conducted over the course of two years and involved an extensive and highly-classified analysis of policy, intelligence, scientific, capability and cost issues. It is the most comprehensive examination ever conducted by British officials of non-continuous postures. The review thoroughly tested the effectiveness of a wide range of future nuclear cruise missile systems and explored in depth the time scales associated with developing cruise missile warhead designs and the challenges involved in transitioning from the current Trident system to any alternative system. It reported to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the second half of June this year. Officials then worked intensively to de-classify and to produce a report so that it could be made available to Parliament before the summer recess.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many questions answered by his Office included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Office containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink.

Nicholas Clegg: Information on length or size of answers is not held centrally.
	Tables longer than four pages are routinely placed in the Library of the House. Hyperlinks are often given when information is already in the public domain.

JUSTICE

Bail: Sentencing

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2013, Official Report, columns 471-2W, on prisoners, how many female offenders were given immediate custodial sentences for failing to surrender to bail in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Jeremy Wright: The number of female offenders sentenced to immediate custody for failing to surrender to bail, along with custody rate, in England and Wales, in each year, from 2008 to 2012, can be viewed in the table.
	Failing to attend court on time (when subject to bail) is an offence. The maximum sentence in a magistrates court is three months imprisonment and/or a level 5 fine (maximum £5,000) and 12 months imprisonment in the Crown Court. In addition to imposing punishment for this offence, courts will be less likely to grant bail to a defendant who has absconded in the past.
	This Government is committed to seeing fewer women offending and reoffending.
	Some female offenders need to go to prison, but we must ensure they get the right support to stop them returning to crime. That is why we are changing the law so for the first time all prisoners will receive at least 12 months tailored, through the gate supervision on release. We are also ensuring that the courts have credible and robust sentence options at their disposal.
	
		
			 Female offenders sentenced to immediate custody for failing to surrender to bail(1), England and Wales, 2008-12(2,3) 
			  2008(4) 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Sentenced 2,479 2,345 2,695 2,373 1,806 
			 Of which:      
			 Custody 287 196 218 192 136 
			       
			 Custody rate (percentage) 12 8 8 8 8 
			 (1) An offence under Section 6 of the Bail Act 1976. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

European Convention on Human Rights

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much has been spent on legal aid claims for (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful cases brought against the UK under the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights since 1998;
	(2)  how much was spent on legal aid in each case brought against the UK under the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights since 1998.

Jeremy Wright: Legal aid in England and Wales is administered by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). The LAA does not fund cases brought against the United Kingdom in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Lincoln Prison

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much notice staff at HM Prison Lincoln have received regarding expected redundancies in 2013.

Jeremy Wright: There are no plans to make any Prison Service staff in HMP Lincoln redundant in 2013. Some members of staff have, however, accepted offers under a voluntary early departure scheme (VEDS). Under civil service compensation arrangements, staff offered VEDS are given three months’ notice.

Prisoners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely prison population in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016 and (d) 2017.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice produces annual projections of the prison population in England and Wales, most recently in November 2012. These project the prison population under three different scenarios based on the impact of three different receipts and sentencing trends and is available from the following web page:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/prison-probation/prison-pop-projections/prison-pop-projections-2012-18.pdf
	We are committed to always having enough places to manage those sentenced to custody by the courts and have contingency plans in place to manage any unanticipated population growth.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many foreign nationals of each nationality there are in prisons in England and Wales;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals of each nationality there are in prisons in London; and of what crimes each such prisoner has been convicted;
	(3)  of what crimes those foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales were convicted.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the number of foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales by nationality is published routinely in the 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly bulletin' and can be found in Table 1.6 of the prison population tables via the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-jan-mar-2013
	Table 1 as follows shows the number of foreign nationals in London prisons by nationality. These figures include those on remand, those serving sentences, and immigration detainees.
	Table 2 as follows shows the number of foreign national prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence in London prisons, broken down by offence group.
	Table 3 as follows shows the number of foreign national prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence in prisons in England and Wales, broken down by offence group.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Table 1: Foreign nationals in London prisons by nationality, 30 June 2013 
			  Total 
			 Afghanistan 36 
			 Albania 61 
			 Algeria 67 
			 Angola 21 
			 Antigua and Barbuda 2 
			 Argentina 3 
			 Armenia 1 
			 Australia 4 
			 Austria 1 
			 Bangladesh 31 
			 Barbados 4 
			 Belgium 8 
			 Bermuda 2 
			 Bolivia 4 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 
			 Brazil 13 
			 Bulgaria 20 
			 Burundi 2 
			 Cameroon 3 
			 Canada 9 
			 Cayman Islands 1 
			 Central African Republic 1 
			 Chile 1 
			 China 22 
		
	
	
		
			 Colombia 20 
			 Congo, Republic of 43 
			 Costa Rica 2 
			 Croatia 1 
			 Cuba 2 
			 Cyprus 7 
			 Czech Republic 25 
			 Denmark 3 
			 Dominica 7 
			 Ecuador 1 
			 Egypt 5 
			 Estonia 3 
			 Ethiopia 12 
			 Fiji 1 
			 Finland 3 
			 France 39 
			 Gabon 1 
			 Gambia 8 
			 Georgia 2 
			 Germany 14 
			 Ghana 41 
			 Greece 7 
			 Grenada 1 
			 Guinea 3 
			 Guyana 7 
			 Haiti 1 
			 Hungary 28 
			 India 85 
			 Indonesia 1 
			 Iran 30 
			 Iraq 23 
			 Irish Republic 134 
			 Israel 17 
			 Italy 31 
			 Ivory Coast 12 
			 Jamaica 170 
			 Jordan 3 
			 Kazakhstan 1 
			 Kenya 12 
			 Korea, Republic of 2 
			 Kuwait 6 
			 Kyrgyzstan 1 
			 Latvia 45 
			 Lebanon 4 
			 Liberia 5 
			 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 5 
			 Lithuania 141 
			 Macedonia 1 
			 Malawi 2 
			 Malaysia 4 
			 Malt 1 
			 Malta 1 
			 Mauritania 3 
			 Mauritius 6 
			 Mexico 3 
			 Morocco 24 
			 Nepal 4 
			 Netherlands 29 
			 Netherlands Antilles 1 
			 New Zealand 2 
			 Niger 9 
			 Nigeria 149 
			 Norway 3 
			 Pakistan 57 
			 Paraguay 1 
		
	
	
		
			 Philippines 5 
			 Poland 311 
			 Portugal 74 
			 Qatar 1 
			 Romania 236 
			 Russian Federation 13 
			 Rwanda 7 
			 Saudi Arabia 4 
			 Senegal 5 
			 Serbia 10 
			 Sierra Leone 17 
			 Slovakia 15 
			 Somalia 115 
			 South Africa 15 
			 Spain 25 
			 Sri Lanka 37 
			 St Lucia 8 
			 St Vincent and the Grenadines 1 
			 Sudan 6 
			 Sweden 3 
			 Switzerland 2 
			 Syrian Arab Republic 7 
			 Tanzania 1 
			 Thailand 2 
			 Togo 2 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 18 
			 Tunisia 3 
			 Turkey 34 
			 Turkmenistan 1 
			 Uganda 17 
			 Ukraine 9 
			 United Arab Emirates 1 
			 United States 20 
			 Venezuela 2 
			 Vietnam 31 
			 Zambia 2 
			 Zimbabwe 24 
			 All 2,718 
			 Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Foreign nationals in London prisons serving an immediate custodial sentence by offence, 30 June 2013 
			  All 
			 Violence against the person 209 
			 Sexual offences 108 
			 Robbery 154 
			 Burglary 87 
			 Theft and handling 237 
			 Fraud and forgery 154 
			 Drug offences 244 
			 Motoring offences 25 
			 Other offences 208 
			 Offence not recorded 19 
			 All 1,445 
			 Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Foreign nationals serving an immediate custodial sentence by offence, 30 June 2013, England and Wales 
			  All 
			 Violence against the person 1,752 
			 Sexual offences 962 
			 Robbery 689 
		
	
	
		
			 Burglary 367 
			 Theft and handling 643 
			 Fraud and forgery 387 
			 Drug offences 1,414 
			 Motoring offences 85 
			 Other offences 827 
			 Offence not recorded 41 
			 All 7,167 
			 Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences were committed by offenders serving a prison sentence in an open prison in the latest period for which figures are available; what the offence was in each case; and in which open prison each such offender was serving.

Jeremy Wright: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer to parliamentary question 165409 on 29 August 2013, Official Report, column l032W.

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he has taken to monitor outputs of the G4S contract relating to sexual assault referral centres in West Mercia.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	NHS England is responsible for commissioning sexual assault services. NHS England awarded the contract to G4S to operate the Glade Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Worcestershire following a competitive tendering process and is responsible for monitoring G4S's performance against the contract.
	NHS England has established the West Midlands Sexual Assault Referral Centre Board, to oversee performance of sexual assault referral centres across the region.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many answers to parliamentary questions involving tables of statistics fewer than four pages in length were (a) printed in full and (b) provided via a web link to a website in the last year;
	(2)  what guidance his Department follows in determining whether, when answers to Parliamentary Questions which include statistics, those statistics are (a) provided in full, (b) provided via a web link to a website and (c) placed in the Library;
	(3)  how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month;
	(4)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink.

Helen Grant: The Department does not record this information at the level of detail required and it would incur disproportionate costs to do so. This would require a manual trawl of each individual PQ response to identify if statistical tables were provided in full, via a web link or included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report.
	The Office of the Leader of the House provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering parliamentary questions by reference to Government websites.
	The guidance advises that the answer should give the Member the factual information requested (including supplying paper copies of the website pages), with an additional line in the answer indicating that the information is already made readily available.
	The full Guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work
	A copy of the guidance relating to referring to websites has already been placed in the Library and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work later this year.
	If the information is not in the public domain, a table will be provided. For larger tables that cannot be published in the Hansard, these will be placed in the House Library.
	The Department responds to PQs in line with the guidance.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer question 158124, tabled on 3 June 2013, for ordinary written answer on 5 June 2013.

Jeremy Wright: I understand that you have now received a response to your parliamentary question and I apologise for the delay.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to answer question 163024, tabled on 27 June 2013 for answer on 2 July 2013.

Helen Grant: I understand that you have now received a response to your parliamentary question and I apologise for the delay.

HEALTH

Cancer

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with which suppliers NHS England has contracts to treat cancer patients with gamma knife radiosurgery; when such contracts were negotiated; and which other suppliers were considered at the time of negotiation;
	(2)  how many NHS patients each NHS England accredited supplier of gamma knife radiosurgery is contracted to treat annually.

Anna Soubry: Information concerning the existing contracts to provide gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery; the time when the contracts were negotiated; and the patient caseload for those centres has been provided by NHS England, and placed in the following table.
	
		
			 Provider Planned patient volume for 2013-14 contract Date of contract negotiation 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 942 1980s 
			 Nova Healthcare in Leeds 161 1 April 2009 
			 The Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre, Sheffield (1)— October 2008 
			 Bart’s Health, London 257 2002 
			 BUPA-Cromwell, London 81 2004 
			 (1 )No contract currently in place for 2013-14. 
		
	
	All contracts have been reviewed on an annual basis in line with the requirements set out in the national health service standard contract.
	The Sheffield service treats the greatest volume of patients in England and receives referrals from across the country. When the Nova Healthcare contract was negotiated, consideration was given to the presence of both the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Service and the Thornbury Radiosurgery Centre. There was no need to consider additional providers as the contracted volumes have been relatively stable and both providers have capacity to deal with the work load. In London, there was also no need to consider additional providers as the contracted volumes have been relatively stable and both providers have capacity to deal with the work load. NHS England has advised that additional, contracts run the risk of diluting clinical expertise at existing providers.

Cancer

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time from referral for (a) imaging treatment, (b) endoscopy treatment and (c) radiotherapy treatment for NHS cancer patients is in (i) Bolton, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) England.

Anna Soubry: Data are not collected centrally on the waiting time from referral for imaging treatment, endoscopy treatment and radiotherapy treatment.
	There are two national standards relating to the referral of patients for cancer treatment. There is the standard that 85% of patients should begin first treatment within 62 days of urgent general practitioner (GP) referral and the standard that 90% of patients should begin treatment within 62 days of referral from an NHS Cancer Screening Service.
	For radiotherapy, there is also a national standard that for second or subsequent treatment 94% of patients should be treated within 31 days for radiotherapy.
	The most recent performance data against these standards for Bolton Primary Care Trust (PCT) and England are set out in the following table. Data for Greater Manchester are not available are data is not collected by region.
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Quarter 4 2012-13 62-day urgent GP referral to treatment wait for first treatment: All cancers 62-day wait for first treatment following referral from an NHS cancer screening service: All cancers 31-day wait for second or subsequent treatment: Radiotherapy treatments 
			 National standard 85 90 94 
			 Bolton PCT 88.7 93.3 100 
			 England 86.3 94.9 98.1

Cancer

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reasons NHS England has stopped the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery treating brain cancer patients with gamma knife radiosurgery;
	(2)  for what reasons brain cancer patients and patients who have benign, vascular and functional neuro disease who were treated at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery up to 31 March 2013 are required to transfer their treatment to another hospital by NHS England;
	(3)  for what reason NHS England stopped funding patients for gamma knife treatment at the National Hospital for Neurology and neurosurgery at University College London Hospital but will fund such treatment at private hospitals in London.

Anna Soubry: As of 1 April, NHS England is now responsible for commissioning radiotherapy services, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), which gamma knife provides, and it is currently undertaking a review of the capacity requirements for this treatment at a national level.
	Prior to 1 April 2013, Commissioners for London (London specialised commissioning group) had historically commissioned pathways for patients who require SRS treatment at one of the two accredited centres for this service in London, which are the BUPA Cromwell Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital. NHS England understands that occasionally primary care trusts may have commissioned SRS treatment from other non-accredited providers, such as the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, but the full extent of this activity is not known.
	Until those capacity requirements are clear, NHS England has said it would be inappropriate to encourage new market entrants to provide this service as it cannot be clear what the potential consequential impacts on service quality, sustainability (financial and clinical) and potential unintended changes to patient pathways will be.
	Until the review is complete no substantive changes will be made to the current provision. This is to help ensure that a coherent national strategy is established which will deliver a service, offering clinically safe and sustainable high quality specialist services for national health service patients on a national basis.

Cancer: Scotland

Iain McKenzie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to local commissioners in England on funding cancer treatments for patients normally resident in Scotland.

Anna Soubry: None. Responsibility for commissioning cancer services for people ordinarily resident in Scotland rests with the national health service in Scotland, which is able to commission services from English providers.

Childbirth

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many births took place in each obstetric-led NHS maternity unit in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Information on the number of deliveries by type of hospital ward for each national health service trust and foundation trust in England in 2011-12 has been placed in the Library. This data does not represent the number of births as more than one baby may have been delivered in a delivery episode.

Children: Mental Health

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the number of school age pupils who have been prescribed drugs for (a) depression, (b) behaviour control and (c) mental health problems in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: Information is not available on the number of prescriptions issued, only on prescriptions actually dispensed. Neither is information collected on the age of the patient nor the condition for which an item dispensed was prescribed.

Congenital Abnormalities

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will collect data centrally on the diagnosis of fetal valproate syndrome;
	(2)  if he will collect data centrally on the diagnosis of fetal valproate syndrome where there is also a diagnosis of (a) spina bifida, (b) neural tube defects, (c) cardiac and heart malformations, (d) kidney malformations and (e) cleft lip or palate;
	(3)  if he will collect data centrally on the diagnosis of children with fetal anti-convulsant syndrome between 1989 and 2012;
	(4)  how he plans to collect data centrally on the diagnosis of fetal valproate syndrome and sodium valproate in pregnancy.

Daniel Poulter: There are no plans to collect data centrally on the diagnosis of fetal valproate syndrome, the diagnosis of children with fetal anti-convulsant syndrome between 1989 and 2012 or the diagnosis of fetal valproate syndrome and sodium valproate use in pregnancy.
	The Health and Social Care Information Centre advise their clinical coders are unable to identify these conditions using the ICD10 classification of diseases that is used in the Hospital Episode Statistics. Therefore they are unable to supply any data for these questions.

Diabetes

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in (a) Dudley North constituency, (b) Dudley Borough, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England were diagnosed with diabetes in each of the last three years.

Anna Soubry: Data are not available to answer this question accurately.
	Participation in the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), which audits diabetes registrations in primary and secondary care, is not mandatory. The NDA does not have 100% coverage or participation and therefore cannot accurately provide the information required. The 2011-12 data has not yet been published. The 2008-09 NDA data are currently undergoing data migration and cannot be provided. Therefore, NDA data are only available for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	The following table shows the number of people within the NDA(1), registered in primary and secondary care, that were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2009-10 and 2010-11 in (a) Dudley Primary Care Trust (PCX), (b) the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority and (c) England.
	
		
			  NDA audit year 
			 Geographical area 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Dudley PCT 1,159 1,248 
			 West Midlands SHA 24,933 24,140 
			 England 216,409 229,055 
			 (1) The NDA does not have 100%coverage, so these figures will be an incomplete count of people.

E. Coli

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of recent research by Professor Peter Collignon of the Australian National University into the relationship between human deaths from E. coli and third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic use in poultry farming.

Anna Soubry: The Government is aware of the research from Professor Collignon and colleagues which is a useful addition to the scientific evidence base. However, the pattern of usage of antibiotics in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands at the centre of the study was different.
	We will continue to keep the evidence under review as part of the implementation of the Five Year UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, which will be published very shortly.

Food: Testing

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities did not report any food standards sampling in 2011-12 via the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System, excluding those that took no samples at all; how many samples each local authority took; how many were submitted to the local authority's appointed public analyst; how many of those submitted to the public analyst were taken as part of a Food Standards Agency-funded project; and how many were paid for by the local authority.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advise that the following local authorities did not report any food standards sampling in 2011-12 via the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System (LAEMS):
	Bexley
	Birmingham
	Bromley
	Camden
	Central Bedfordshire
	Leicester City
	Limavady
	Portsmouth
	Sefton
	Southend
	Sutton
	Swindon
	Telford and Wrekin
	All of these authorities reported microbiological samples via LAEMS and/or reported food standards sampling through a separate FSA funded project.
	A table has been placed in the Library which shows how many food standards samples each local authority reported via LAEMS, together with how many food standards samples each local authority reported through an FSA-funded project. The specific projects funded by the FSA were delivered in some cases by regional groupings of authorities and in these cases the number of samples taken by individual authorities is not available.
	All of the reported food standards samples would have been submitted to the local authority's appointed public analyst. A total of 5,072 food standards samples were funded by the FSA, all other food standards samples would have been paid for by the local authority.
	For some local authorities, the FSA funded sampling figure is larger than the number included in the LAEMS report. The difference will be due to the LAEMS reports only including samples for which the result was received before 31 March 2012.

Health

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's December 2012 interim report and its findings regarding Public Health Responsibility Deals;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to evaluate the conclusion of the research carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine that voluntary agreements which offer incentives, such as Public Health Responsibility Deals, achieve higher success rates.

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which found that incentives within voluntary public health agreements ensure a better rate of success; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The scoping review from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will help inform the main evaluation which it is currently undertaking. The evaluation will help further develop the Responsibility Deal.

Health Services: Surrey

Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS spending per head of population in Surrey was in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: The expenditure per head for Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) in each of the last five financial years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Surrey PCT 
			  £ 
			 2008-09 1,356 
			 2009-10 1,518 
			 2010-11 1,566 
			 2011-12 1,534 
			 2012-13 1,593

Health Visitors: Bury

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2013, Official Report, column 360W, on health visitors: Bury, when NHS England last sought assurance from its area team that the core national service requirement was being met in Bury.

Daniel Poulter: NHS England has advised the Department that it has a mechanism through which it assures ongoing delivery of its national service specification for health visiting services. NHS England's Greater Manchester Area Team met, on 8 July 2013, with representatives of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which provides health visitor services in Bury. The Area Team has confirmed that services in Bury are being delivered in line with the service specification.

Health: Restaurants

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to bring forward a franchise responsibility deal to allow quick service restaurants owned by franchisees to participate in initiatives to improve public health; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The responsibility deal currently has a number of partners that operate on a franchise basis, including Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut, and their commitments cover all franchisees.
	Additionally, local franchise-owners can choose to sign-up as local partners to the national responsibility deal. In April, the Department launched a local toolkit that includes a number of simple actions that local food/catering businesses can take to provide healthier offerings for their customers. Further information on the toolkit and becoming a local partner is available at:
	https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/local-partners/

Health: Restaurants

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many quick service restaurant chains have endorsed public health responsibility deals; which such chains have committed to deals that deliver a healthier product to consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: 11 quick service restaurants are currently signed up to the Public Health Responsibility Deal through its Food Network and have made commitments to help consumers improve their diet.

Hepatitis: Prisoners

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to improve prisoners' awareness of hepatitis C and the testing and treatments available to prisoners;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the prevalence of hepatitis C in prisons in England.

Norman Lamb: Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has commissioned public health services for prisoners, including testing and treatment for hepatitis C (HCV). This will reduce variation and improve the quality of testing and treatment provided in prisons.
	In May 2013, Public Health England (PHE) published ‘An audit of hepatitis C services in a representative sample of English prisons’, which showed that HCV testing was offered in 95% of prisons. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	Data on HCV prevalence in prisons is limited because not all prisoners are tested and not all testing is recorded nationally. In 2012 PHE's Sentinel Surveillance of blood-borne virus (BBV) testing showed that the proportion of male prisoners testing positive had undergone a steady decline each year since 2008, while the proportion of women testing positive had plateaued. Between 2008-12, 25% of female prisoners who were tested had a positive result, compared to 11% of male prisoners who were tested.
	With respect to improving awareness, NHS England is working with partners to develop a range of material to advise and inform prisoners and staff about risk factors for infection, infection control and testing and treatment programmes. In 2012, a DVD entitled “Bleach Works” was disseminated to all English prisons, showing prisoners how to use disinfectant tablets to protect themselves from BBV, including HCV.

Hospitals: Climate Change

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the costs to UK hospitals of complying with climate change legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not currently undertake an assessment of the costs to hospitals in the United Kingdom of complying with climate change legislation. However, an assessment would be undertaken locally by individual national health service trusts to deliver a suitable strategy with respect to climate change legislation within their own organisation.
	The 2008 Climate Change Act and the Department's Climate Change Plan 2010 together with the Adaptation Plan and the Carbon Reduction Delivery Plan all form part of the strategy for improving energy efficiency and the effects of climate change.
	The Department is committed to supporting the NHS to meet the requirements of the Climate Change Act. Being energy efficient reduces estates costs and allows trusts to be efficient and reinvest efficiency savings back into front line care. On 24 January 2013, the Department launched a £50 million Energy Efficiency Fund to enable the NHS to go further, faster. However, this does not include similar types of schemes which trusts will have funded from their own resources.
	NHS organisations are responsible for the procurement of their facilities, including addressing climate change legislation and sustainability matters. Overall, the NHS is becoming more sustainable. The carbon emissions per area (kilogrammes carbon per square metre) of the NHS in England has reduced by 14% between 1999-2000 and 2010-11, which is the latest available data. Improved energy efficiency and more sustainable practices have resulted in a reduction in carbon emissions per area.

Judicial Review

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for judicial review have been brought against his Department and the arms-length bodies for which he is responsible in each of the last 10 years; whether the decisions challenged in such applications were upheld; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The following table shows the number of judicial review cases brought against the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the last 10 years. Information on whether the decisions challenged in these applications were upheld is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Department of Health MHRA 
			 2004 49 1 
			 2005 44 0 
			 2006 68 2 
			 2007 41 2 
			 2008 31 4 
			 2009 38 1 
			 2010 35 2 
			 2011 26 3 
			 2012 27 0 
			 2013 (to date) 12 1 
		
	
	Five of the Department's arm's length bodies (ALBs) have had applications for judicial review brought against them during the last 10 years. The following tables show how many applications have been brought against them and whether the decisions challenged in such applications were upheld.
	
		
			 ALB: Health Protection Agency (HPA) and Public Health England (PHE) 
			  Number of applications for judicial review Number of decisions challenged where applications upheld 
			 2004 0 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 2008 0 0 
			 2009 (1)1 0 
			 2010 0 0 
			 2011 0 0 
			 2012 0 0 
			 2013 (2)1 0 
			 (1) One application was made in 2009. The decision challenged in the application was partially amended by HPA during the review proceedings but the decision was—to the extent not amended—upheld both by the Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal. (2) One application has been made in 2013. The case is still at the permission stage and was made prior to 31 March 2013 before the formation of PHE. 
		
	
	
		
			 ALB: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 
			  Number of applications for judicial review Number of decisions challenged where applications upheld 
			 2004 1 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 4 1 
			 2008 1 1 
			 2009 1 0 
			 2010 0 0 
			 2011 2 0 
			 2012 1 0 
			 2013 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			 ALB: NHS Litigation Authority 
			  Number of applications for judicial review Number of decisions challenged where applications upheld 
			 2004 3 0 
			 2005 4 0 
			 2006 8 2 
			 2007 4 1 
			 2008 1 0 
			 2009 0 0 
			 2010 3 0 
			 2011 4 0 
			 2012 3 1 
			 2013 2 (1)0 
			 (1) One ongoing. 
		
	
	
		
			 ALB: Monitor 
			  Number of applications for judicial review Number of decisions challenged where applications upheld 
			 2004 0 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0- 0 
			 2007 0 0 
			 2008 1 0 
			 2009 0 0 
			 2010 0 0 
			 2011 0 0 
			 2012 0 0 
			 2013 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 ALB: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 
			  Number of applications for judicial review Number of decisions challenged where applications upheld ' 
			 2004 0 0 
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			 2008 0 0 
			 2009 3 1 
			 2010 0 0 
			 2011 0 0 
			 2012 0 0 
			 2013 0 0

Legal Opinion

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to enforce an agreed period of time for the compilation of external enquiries undertaken for his Department by legally qualified persons.

Daniel Poulter: Good practice guidance on the conduct of an independent investigation of adverse events in mental health services was published in 2008. The former strategic health authorities were responsible for commissioning independent investigations and the guidance describes the circumstances under which an investigation might be conducted, timing, the investigation process and publication and distribution of the investigation report.
	The responsibility for commissioning independent investigations passed to NHS England on 1 April 2013.
	Guidance published by NHS England in March 2013 gives six months as a guide to the timeframe in which independent investigations should be completed.

Maternity Services

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious incidents occurred in each NHS maternity unit in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what definition his Department uses of a serious incident.

Daniel Poulter: Information on the number of serious incidents in each national health service maternity unit is not collected centrally.
	The definition of a serious incident is set out in the National Patient Safety Agency's (NPSA) “National Framework for Reporting and Learning from Serious Incidents Requiring Investigation”, which was published in 2010. This document is available on the NPSA's website at:
	www.nrls.npsa.nhs.uk/resources/?entryid45=75173
	and defines a serious incident requiring investigation as:
	An incident that occurred in relation to NHS-funded services and care resulting in one of the following:
	unexpected or avoidable death of one or more patients, staff, visitors or members of the public;
	serious harm to one or more patients, staff, visitors or members of the public or where the outcome requires life-saving intervention, major surgical/medical intervention, permanent harm or will shorten life expectancy or result in prolonged pain or psychological harm (this includes incidents graded under the NPSA definition of severe harm);
	a scenario that prevents or threatens to prevent a provider organisation's ability to continue to deliver healthcare services, for example, actual or potential loss of personal/organisational information, damage to property, reputation or the environment, or information technology failure;
	allegations of abuse;
	adverse media coverage or public concern about the organisation or the wider NHS;
	one of the core set of ‘Never Events’ as updated on an annual basis.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's decision on the meningitis B vaccine will have on long-term social care costs;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the interim position from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on a meningitis B vaccine on innovation in this area.

Anna Soubry: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not yet finalised and submitted its position statement on meningococcal B vaccine to the Department. Therefore, we have not yet made any such assessments.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the date and meeting agendas of any discussions between (a) the Department of Health Immunisation Branch and the Treasury and (b) his Department, the executive agencies for which he is responsible, and the Treasury on meningitis B since October 2012.

Anna Soubry: Officials in the Department have held routine meetings with HM Treasury since October 2012 to discuss the spending review settlement for 2015-16, including for national immunisation programmes. However, there have been no specific meetings about meningococcal B vaccine between the Department, its executive agencies and the HM Treasury since October 2012.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to review the potential introduction of a meningococcal B vaccination programme; and when he intends to make a copy of this request available to the public.

Anna Soubry: On 10 June 2013, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), wrote to the acting chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) requesting the JCVI's recommendation on the introduction of a routine national meningococcal B vaccination programme.
	A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library and it will be published on the GOV.UK website in due course.

Mental Health Services

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much funding mental health services have received in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust and (d) Durham in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to improve choice in the provision of services for mental health service users;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to improve the commissioning of mental health services.

Norman Lamb: The Government has made a clear commitment in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to give mental health equal priority with physical health.
	We have set out the outcomes that we expect the national health service to achieve in the NHS Outcomes Framework and will hold the NHS to account for the quality of services and outcomes for mental health patients.
	The Implementation Framework for the Mental Health Strategy also makes clear our expectation that improving the commissioning of mental health services should form a vital element of clinical commissioning groups’ (CCGs) and NHS England's work to improve outcomes for people with mental health problems.
	The application process for CCG authorisation required organisations to demonstrate that they have sufficient planned capacity and capability to commission improved outcomes in mental health.
	From April 2014 patients referred to mental health services will be given the same choice as those referred to other elective services.
	From April 2013 they will have the right to choose the team which provides their care within their mental health provider and from April 2014 patients will have the right to choose any clinically appropriate provider in England for a first out-patient appointment. Information on funding is not available in the form requested. The following table provides information on reported investment in mental health services by primary care trusts (PCTs) covering the areas requested. Prior to 2013-14, PCTs were responsible for commissioning services to meet the health care needs of their local populations, taking account of national and local priorities.
	
		
			 Reported investment for working age adults 
			 Total reported investment (£000) 
			      
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 
			 England     
			 Total 6,628,570 6,550,146 6,001,114 5,849,105 
			      
			 North East     
			 County Durham 51,143 49,379 47,987 98,129 
			 Darlington 9,338 8,943 8,729 11,997 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 28,256 31,219 29,422 29,256 
			 Newcastle 41,739 38,611 37,160 33,091 
			 North Tyneside 18,070 20,188 14,888 16,593 
			 Gateshead 23,112 20,898 18,598 18,165 
			 South Tyneside 16,808 16,931 15,064 16,044 
			 Sunderland Teaching 31,965 38,661 31,257 33,858 
			 Hartlepool 10,964 12,717 10,424 1,607 
			 Middlesbrough 17,389 16,647 15,283 2,371 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 14,838 14,524 14,026 1,194 
			 North Tees(1) 19,114 19,741 19,684 6,369 
			      
			 Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Foundation Trust     
			 North Yorkshire and York 54,356 54,530 53,946 52,543 
			 County Durham 51,143 49,379 47,987 98,129 
			 Darlington 9,338 8,943 8,729 11,997 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 28,256 31,219 29,422 29,256 
			 Newcastle 41,739 38,611 37,160 33,091 
			 North Tyneside 18,070 20,188 14,888 16,593 
			 Gateshead 23,112 20,898 18,598 16,165 
			 South Tyneside 16,808 16,931 15,064 16,044 
			 Sunderland Teaching 31,965 38,661 31,257 33,858 
			 Hartlepool 10,964 12,717 10,424 1,607 
			 Middlesbrough 17,389 16,647 15,283 2,371 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 14,838 14,524 14,026 1,194 
			 North Tees(1) 19,114 19,741 19,684 6,369 
		
	
	
		
			 Durham     
			 County Durham 51,143 49,379 47,987 98,129 
			 (1) Shown as Stockton on Tees PCT for 20098-10 Notes: 1. These surveys were commissioned annually by the Department of Health from Mental Health Strategies and published on the Department's website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-in-mental-health-in-2011-to-2012-working-age-adults-and-older-adults 2. These survey figures were based on details submitted by each organisation on their reported investment in services and consequently may not match actual outturn figures reported in annual their accounts. 3. The surveys were non-mandatory and include some estimated data. 4. Data cover services provided for working age adults (aged 18 to 64). Sources: National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2011-12 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2010-11 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2009-10 National Survey of Investment in Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2008-09

Midwives

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  in what proportion of cases during labour a 1:1 ratio of midwives to expectant mothers was achieved in each NHS maternity unit in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many women transferred from each NHS maternity unit to another facility during labour in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) NHS trusts and (b) NHS foundation trusts there are; how many NHS trusts are expected to satisfy the requirements for conversion to foundation status by 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: At 23 July, there are 100 national health service trusts and 147 foundation trusts.
	The 2014 deadline for reaching foundation trust status has done much to galvanise the NHS trust sector and drive improvement. However, in light of Robert Francis' report, we have allowed the NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA) to agree trajectories for NHS trusts to reach foundation trust status that go beyond 2014 on a case by case basis. In so doing, we will ensure that the primary focus of the NHS TDA and of NHS trusts themselves is on improving the quality and sustainability of services for patients.
	The NHS TDA is working with 100 non-foundation trusts. 15 of those trusts have foundation trust applications which are currently with Monitor for assessment. A further 16 NHS trusts have submitted applications which are currently being considered by the NHS TDA. Work is continuing but there is potential for a further 12 applications to reach the NHS TDA by April 2014. 14 trusts are currently pursuing a transaction to achieve sustainability. The NHS TDA is working with the remaining 43 NHS trusts to establish achievable plans for sustainability.

NHS: Procurement

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to decide on the procurement of universal sample containers for urine sample collection and transport.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold information about the criteria used to decide on the procurement of universal sample containers for urine sample collection and transport.
	The Department does not have a direct role in the purchasing decisions of the national health service. These fall directly to the individual trusts, which are responsible for running their individual procurements based on local requirements.

Nurses: Training

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Statement of 26 March 2013, Official Report, column 1473, what minimum period of time work nurse trainees will be required to complete as support workers to healthcare assistants.

Daniel Poulter: In response to Recommendation 187 from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry, the Government asked Health Education England (HEE) to pilot and evaluate aspiring nurse students undertaking up to a year as a support worker before recommending how it should be taken forward.
	HEE is in the process of designing a pilot to commence September 2013 whereby it is anticipated that up to 200 participants will be recruited to care posts to gain care experience of up to one year duration. The pilot will examine how effective the proposal of gaining caring experience of up to a year is, as proposed by the Government.

Nurses: Vacancies

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the three-month vacancy rate was for nurses in each specialist group in each year since 2010.

Daniel Poulter: There is no central collection of the number of vacancies for nurses in each specialist group. Following the publication of the Fundamental Data Review in March 2013, the national health service vacancy collection, which had previously been suspended from 2011, has now been discontinued. In 2010 the three-month vacancy rate for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff was 0.6%. The three-month vacancy rate was not collected for specialist nurses.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the Welsh Government's decision to introduce presumed consent will result in administrative changes to the way the organ donation system operates in England;
	(2)  whether the Welsh Assembly decision to introduce presumed consent will result in any additional costs to the UK Government.

Anna Soubry: Officials from the Department of Health have been working with officials from the Welsh Government and those of NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), whose specialist nurses are responsible for approaching the families of potential organ donors, to identify the operational implications of the legislation both in Wales and on the rest of the United Kingdom. Organs are matched and allocated nationally by NHSBT and there is no intention to change the system. Organs donated in Wales may, as they do now, go across the border into England to be used and equally, organs donated in England will continue to be used in Wales.
	The move to a deemed consent approach in Wales necessitates the development of a system to record the wishes of those who do not wish to be organ donors. This needs to operate alongside the existing opt-in NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR).
	The costs of operational changes resulting from the Welsh organ donation legislation and the training of clinicians is expected to be borne by the Welsh Government, or funded from existing grants to NHSBT. It has been agreed that a new ODR to support both opt-in and opt-out decisions will be developed to respond to the requirements of the Welsh legislation, replacing the existing ODR and to support the new UK strategy, ‘Taking Transplantation to 2020’, published on 11 July 2013. All UK health administrations will contribute to the development of this new Register, with the Welsh Government providing the majority of the funding.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of presumed consent organ donation in Wales on (a) English prisoners in Welsh prisons, (b) individuals who normally reside in England who die in intensive care in Wales and (c) individuals who normally reside in Wales who die in intensive care in England.

Anna Soubry: English prisoners in Welsh prisons cannot be considered ordinarily resident in Wales during their time in prison, as they cannot be stated to be residing there through choice. People in prison will not therefore have their consent to organ donation deemed.
	The Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill only applies to people over the age of 18, who are ordinarily resident in Wales. Individuals who normally reside in England who die in intensive care in Wales will not therefore be subject to the new arrangements in Wales.
	The Human Tissue Act 2004 will apply to a Welsh resident who dies in intensive care in England. This will mean that if they have expressed a wish to opt in, the family will be sensitively encouraged to accept their decision. If no wish has been expressed, it would be for the nominated representative or person given highest ranking in the Human Tissue Act 2004 hierarchy of consent who would be asked to give or withhold consent for donation. If a person has registered a wish not to be a donor under the new arrangements in Wales, that decision would be valid and would be respected, regardless of where in the United Kingdom the person has died.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effects on organ donation in England of the introduction of presumed consent for organ donation in Wales.

Anna Soubry: The Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill suggests that a change in the law could equate to a further 15 donors each year in Wales donating, on average, three organs to the United Kingdom pool for transplantation.
	Across the UK, we have made considerable progress over the last five years with a welcome 50% improvement in organ donor rates. We will be monitoring the impact that the new legislation has on donor numbers carefully.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Welsh Assembly decision to introduce presumed consent will require any changes to legislation by the UK Government.

Anna Soubry: The Human Tissue (Wales) Bill makes consequential amendments to the Human Tissue Act 2004 to reflect the new system of deemed consent in Wales.
	We are also considering making an Order under s.150 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to make further amendments to the Human Tissue Act 2004 to enable organs donated in Wales under the deemed consent provisions to be used in England and Northern Ireland. Amendments will also be made to ensure that where a person appoints a nominated representative in Wales this appointment will be recognised in England and Northern Ireland.

Patients: Appeals

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for patients to appeal against decisions made about their treatment by NHS England.

Daniel Poulter: If a patient is unhappy with a decision by NHS England about their treatment they may submit further evidence for additional consideration by the Individual Funding Request Review Panel.
	They may also make a complaint directly to NHS England under the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009.

Prosthetics

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who could benefit from microprocessor knees and do not currently have them;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that all patients who could benefit from prosthetic technology have access to it, regardless of the area in which they live;
	(3)  what funding he makes available for the Clinical Reference Group (CRG) on Disability Equipment; and in what circumstances he would consider allocating further funding to CRGs which make a particular case for specific use for that funding.

Norman Lamb: NHS England is responsible for the direct commissioning of specialised services, including specialist assessment for prosthetic services.
	Currently, microprocessor limbs are not routinely funded by NHS England and there is no central allocation of funding to support prescriptions of microprocessor limbs for the civilian population. Figures for the number of civilian patients who either have received microprocessor knees are not held centrally and there are no national estimates for those who could benefit from a microprocessor limb whom have not been prescribed one to date.
	NHS England's Clinical Reference Group for Complex Disability Prosthetic Subgroup is developing an upper and lower limb prosthetics policy which will consider the clinical and cost-effectiveness of all type of prosthetics including microprocessor limbs for routine commissioning.
	Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) do not hold a budget nor are they allocated funding as a CRG. Area teams locally hold the budget and contract locally with providers of specialised services.

Public Health England

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether charging for tests in Public Health England microbiology laboratories is on a per test basis.

Anna Soubry: Tests undertaken by Public Health England that are provided solely in support of public health functions are not charged to an external customer. Tests that are provided primarily for clinical diagnostic purposes are charged to the relevant external customer.
	Where a test is charged, the method of charging to customers varies depending upon the volumes involved and nature of the customer relationship. For example a one-off, small order workload is charged on a “per test” basis while higher volume or ongoing workload is normally transacted under a contract for service.

Smoking

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the health implications of smoking a shisha pipe compared to a cigarette;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to ensure the measures put in place by the Health Act 2006 and Smoke-Free Regulations are being effectively enforced in shisha bars;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to measure the (a) presence of and (b) risk to health from second hand smoke to underage children in shisha bars;
	(4)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to license the selling of tobacco products within shisha bars.

Anna Soubry: The Government has no plans to introduce legislation to license the selling of tobacco products within shisha bars.
	A report published by the World Health Organization in 2005 concluded that “using a waterpipe or shisha to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted”. The report found that a typical one-hour long waterpipe smoking session may involve inhaling over a hundred times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette.
	Shisha premises are governed by ‘smokefree’ legislation under the Health Act 2006 which prevents smoking from taking place within substantially enclosed public spaces. The enforcement of smokefree legislation is the responsibility of local environmental health authorities. Public Health England is currently working with the Department, the Local Government Association, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and others to support the effective enforcement by local authorities of tobacco control legislation in shisha premises.
	The Department does not hold information on the presence of children within shisha premises in England. The Department is not aware of any evidence to suggest that there is an increased health risk to children present in premises that comply with smokefree legislation and are properly operated. These premises are also covered by age of sale of tobacco legislation which prohibits vendors from supplying tobacco to those aged under 18 years old.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many job losses (a) have resulted to date and (b) are predicted to result from the restructuring of South London Healthcare NHS Trust as required by the Trust Special Administrator under the National Health Service Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: In his statement to the House of 31 January 2013, Official Report, columns 1072-75, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), said he expects South London Healthcare NHS Trust (SLHT) to be dissolved by no later than 1 October.
	Work is on-going to conclude SLHTs dissolution and the transfer of its hospitals to other national health service providers on 30 September. Local consultations have been completed, however, we are advised by the NHS Trust Development Authority that the number of potential redundancies is not yet known. The aim is to retain staff in the NHS wherever possible and minimise redundancies.

Training

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consideration his Department has given to strengthening guidance issued to commissioners on procuring training providers in the physical restraint and behaviour management sector;
	(2)  what consideration his Department has given to statutory regulation of providers of training in the physical restraint and behaviour management sector;
	(3)  what consideration his Department has given to increasing the minimum standards to be reached by providers of training in non-physical intervention and physical restraint in the mental health sector.

Norman Lamb: The Department will be publishing new, updated guidance in 2014 that brings together the latest thinking on de-escalation techniques and minimising the use and risks from physical restraint for health and social care staff to use within health and social care settings. This guidance will also look at standards, training, culture, leadership and commissioning.
	The Department is also reviewing the Mental Health Act Code of Practice and intends to consult on a revised version of the Code in 2014. It is expected that this will include changes to the current chapter on use of restraint, medication and seclusion.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many questions answered by his Department included fewer than four pages of statistics in the Official Report for the last month;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that all answers provided by his Department containing tables of statistical data which would not require more than four pages in the Official Report are published in full rather than by reference to a hyperlink.

Daniel Poulter: All answers in July containing statistics covering less than four pages were published in full in the Official Report. The Department's practice is to include tables in the answer and not via a web link.
	The Office of the Leader of the House provides guidance to all Departments on the practice of answering parliamentary questions by reference to Government websites.
	The guidance advises that the answer should give the hon. Member the factual information requested (including supplying paper copies of the website pages), with an additional line in the answer indicating that the information is already made readily available.
	The full guide is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-parliamentary-work
	A copy of the guidance relating to referring to websites has already been placed in the Library and the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons intends to review the Guide to Parliamentary Work later this year.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Football

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will consider reviewing company law with respect to football clubs in order to achieve greater oversight of the financial arrangements of football clubs and avoid clubs being affected by unmanageable debt.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Company law applies generally to all companies formed under the Companies Act 2006, including football clubs which are companies. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently has no plans to review it with respect to football clubs specifically but it will consider any suggestions on their merits.